42
“Seriously?”
Turning his head at the perturbed tone Boone had used, Ethan regarded his friend warily. “What?”
“You can’t keep your eyes off her. I thought you were going to slow things down with her, until you can find out who she really is, and what she’s up to.”
Boone’s now-judgmental tone wasn’t lost on him. Affixing his friend with a firm look, he shrugged. “She isn’t up to anything, I already told you that. She’s hiding, I just don’t know from what, and I don’t want to argue about this.” Boone rolled his eyes, and Ethan had had enough. “You need to knock that shit off,” he informed him. “You’re going on like she’s some kind of criminal. She isn’t, and you know she isn’t. Now, back off.”
When Boone averted his eyes, Ethan looked to the bar. No one was lined up there and he thought it was a good time to grab another round. Before he could stand, Boone nudged him to get his attention and then pointed. Ethan followed Boone’s outstretched hand to see Skip and Zoë headed for the mechanical bull, followed by the small group who’d all been dancing.
“We gotta get closer to watch this,” Boone enthused.
Ethan was in complete agreement. Skip sure as shit wasn’t going to ride the bull which meant Zoë was and, yes, that was something he needed to see. The pair headed over to join the others around the bull and the inflated floor and short walls surrounding it. Joe, the owner of the bar and bull operator, appeared to be giving Zoë pointers but, judging by the look upon her face, she was eager to get going. Ethan’s heart skipped a beat. She was fearless, and he loved it. A thought occurring to him, he rushed around the barrier to approach her as Joe left the enclosure. Smiling, he removed his hat and held it out to her.
“I reckon you should have this on when you ride.”
“Reckon,” she repeated and then snort-giggled. “You sound like such a hick sometimes.” When he raised a brow, she smiled sweetly. “But a freaking hot one,” she added.
He couldn’t help but chuckle at her comment although it cut off abruptly when she slid his hat on. With her mass of springy curls, the hat fit her, way better than he’d imagined it would, and her fiery hair stood out so prominently against the black. Oh yeah, he had to buy her a hat, and definitely a black one. He’d never seen a sexier sight. Not eager to get an erection in front of all those present, he kissed her cheek for luck and then returned to his vantage point beside Boone.
Zoë didn’t look the least bit nervous sitting atop the bull, not that it surprised him. Even as he, and most of the guys in town, had taken some hard falls off the machine, he did admit alcohol had been a factor in some of the worse falls. Arden was sensational on the bull, putting all the men to shame, and he reasoned she’d probably ride next, now that they’d gotten Joe to run it. The bull started moving slowly and Zoë easily moved with it. Watching her closely, he saw she had a good grip on the handhold, and saw the flex of her thigh muscles. She was well rooted on the machine, and hadn’t made the first error most riders did, that of thinking their handhold only would keep them seated. It picked up speed, and he knew it was about to rear. He winced a little, hoping she wouldn’t be unseated so early, but she easily adapted when the bull did rear, straightening her back, leaning forward a bit, angling her hips down, and using her free arm for balance. She was doing great, but the machine would only increase in both speed and erratic movements.
After about a minute with her easily negotiating the machine, Joe increased the speed. Again, she adapted, and Ethan was impressed at how loose she kept her upper body. He didn’t know if she remembered the pointer from their afternoon horseback riding or if it was an innate motion on her part. He suspected the latter, remembering how easily she’d adapted to Dottie’s movements that day. She truly was sensational, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her, even when Boone said something to him that he hadn’t quite heard.
Everyone present cheered Zoë on, and he joined in, proud of how well she was doing, and truly enjoying watching her. Always stunning, somehow she seemed more beautiful now, her hair bouncing around her shoulders, the lights from the dance floor picking up bright highlights in it, her body moving with the machine. Snatching the hat from her head, she waved it at him and smiled, before her eyes widened when the bull suddenly spun. He laughed at her shock but again marvelled at her ability.
Joe increased the difficulty level and she struggled right away. Alas, her first ride was about to come to an end, but she’d been masterful during it. Wincing a little with how she just managed to stay atop the bull on this level, he knew she wouldn’t be on it much longer. When it spun and then instantly reared, he knew she was going down. She hadn’t adjusted fast enough and pitched too far forward. Hoping she wouldn’t land awkwardly, his jaw dropped when she pulled her free arm across her chest and then tucked and rolled out of her fall, finishing in a crouched position.
“Holy Mackinaw!” Boone exclaimed beside him. His peripheral vision caught his friend staring at him. “Tell me you’re not curious about how she learned to do that.”
He was, but he couldn’t tear his eyes from her to address Boone, or even move his head enough to acknowledge he’d heard him. Laughing, Zoë bowed deeply to the cheering crowd and then carefully made her way over the inflated mats to where he stood. She threw her arms around his neck, and, holding her hips tightly, he lifted her up and over the side of the enclosure. Then he embraced her properly, and delivered a quick but sweet kiss on her lips before pulling back to see her face.
“You were amazing,” he told her.
Smiling, she placed his hat on his head, tugging it down in place. “Your hat brought me luck.”
“Oh, darlin’, I know that was all you. You are absolutely amazing.”
She kissed the tip of his nose, making him chuckle as it did each time she did, and then took his hand in hers.
“Dance with me.”
Glad a slow song had started, he followed her to the dancefloor, interlacing his fingers through hers, ignoring the feel of Boone’s eyes upon his back.