Cinder had followed him into the groom's room as he prepared for his next attempt to ride Kickback. The sorrel stallion had just tossed him in the dirt within eight seconds of him getting on his bareback. That might have been enough to satisfy the judges at a rodeo but it wasn't long enough for him to win the bet.
Five people had bet against Jared Montana that he couldn't stay on Kickback for 10 seconds. He'd tried twice already and hadn't even been close. But each time he climbed back on his feet, wiped the dirt of the corral off of his chaps and limped away to get himself a cold beer. He'd be back on the horse the way his daddy had always taught him.
Just not right away.
During the week, Jared dressed up in a suit and worked as one of the top prosecutors in the D.A.'s office focusing on high profile homicide cases. That's where Cinder had reconnected with him after years of not seeing him. They had grown up together in ranching country in New Mexico as kids but then Cinder's parents had died and she'd left to live with her aunt and uncle in San Antonio, on a cattle ranch.
A decade had passed until they had reunited while starting their new jobs along with several dozen other new hires, many of which would fall by the wayside within one year's time. But not Jared and Cinder who over five years had worked themselves to handling top felony cases. She specialized in sexual assault and child abuse and loved her job, but sometimes some of the cases hit too close to home.
Not that she wanted to think about now, any more than Jared wanted to think about his own childhood when his older brother had been killed by a reaction to antivenin he'd received to treat a bite from a diamondback rattler.
"You ready to go?"
He had adjusted his chaps which only accentuated his killer body even further and then he pulled his leather riding gloves over his hands. Most of the other prosecutors honed their bodies through evenings spent playing racquet ball or jogging but Jared still ran his own ranch, albeit one on a smaller scale mostly horses and this herd of goats. It kept him sane especially when his trial schedule grew insane and it kept him from taking his work home with him.
She could relate. She'd drop by the ranch where she kept her own horse and go riding for hours anytime she could spare. A few hours out riding in beautiful surroundings with a strong but responsive horse between her thighs could do wonders for her spirit.
"Jared?"
He nodded, looking at her while standing dressed in one of his softly laundered button down shirts and underneath his chaps, his favorite pair of worn jeans. Boots on his feet, broken down from spending a lot of time there...even to work.
"What darling?"
She smiled, knowing it was his favorite endearment. His curly dark hair and his shadowy jaw line complimented a pair of sparkling brown eyes with just a hint of gold. She'd patched up enough cuts and scrapes on the body underneath his shirt to know it was all muscle between his capable shoulders and his abs...strong from horseback riding.
"You ready to win this time? Because I actually didn't bet against you."
His brows arched up.
"Really...but you did the other two times when I got thrown quicker each time..."
She smiled, flipping back her mahogany curls off of her face.
"Come on, you stayed on for eight seconds last time," she said, "You're getting closer."
He grimaced.
"Close only matters in horse shoes," he said, "I've got to add at least two seconds to my ride."
She put one hand on her hip.
"You mean on a horse right," he said, "Don't think I didn't see Becky slip you her panties last time."
He shook his head.
"I gave them back...discreetly," he said, "That ship has sailed already."
She smiled back at him, the reality of that pleasing her. She hadn't liked Becky much because she just looked so high maintenance. Jared had tried to make her happy but she didn't seem happy. Certainly not at the ranch kicking back with a bunch of cowboys sipping on cold beer while watching Jared get tossed on his ass by a washed up bronco.
"They wagered a lot against you," she said, "About $5,000."
His brows arched again.
"Really...and you didn't add to the pot."
She folded her arms.
"I told you where I'm putting my money."
He nodded sitting down on a hay bale to adjust his boots. She watched him loving it.
"Yes I guess you did," he said, "but seriously I don't know how I'm going to stay on that horse."
She smiled at him, moving closer so that she stood between his thighs. He looked at her bemused.
"Cinder...."
She looked at him innocently.
"Yes?"
"What are you thinking about right now?"
She licked her lips.
"About ways to make sure I don't lose my money betting on you."
He just looked up at her.
"Any ideas on how to do that...?"
She tilted her face.
"Maybe..."
He stood up and she moved backward just enough to let him.
"What do you mean by that Cinder?"
She smiled and then reached out with her hands to put around his neck to bring him closer to her. When she pulled him close enough, her mouth brushed up against his lips, gently and then pulling backwards before returning. Each time, she would kiss him just a little harder, tasting him. She felt his heart beating faster against her chest which told her he liked it.
Not that she needed much feedback besides the hardness that pressed against her belly soon enough. He returned her kissing, tasting her too and the scent of his aftershave and the alfalfa and old leather wafting around him made her heady.
Made her want him...only...she pushed him away gently...
"Jared, you got a bronco to bust," she said, "And I need to hold onto my money."
He seemed speechless from the kiss they just shared as she placed her hands on his chest.
"But..."
"No butts...except to get yours back in here when you get the job done."
He looked at her puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
She smiled at him, her eyes dancing.
"Here's how it's going to play," she said, "You stay on that bronco 10 seconds and I'll be here waiting when you're done and you can do whatever you want..."
His confusion remained on his face. God, the guy could be a crackerjack trial attorney in court but clueless about some more basic things.
"You mean..."
Ah...maybe he might be getting it. She caressed his stubbly jaw line with a couple of fingers.
"Yeah...you ride that bronco out there long enough; you can come back and ride me here for much longer."
For a moment, she thought he might pass out and then she'd really have problems. Because then he might not be in condition to ride at all if he was passed out on the tack room floor, because her proposition had shocked him senseless.
"What the hell are you saying?"
She stepped a bit closer and looked into his eyes dead serious.
"What I just said, that if you stay on that bronco and win me my money," she said, "You can come back here, ride me real hard and pull me up wet or however it goes."
He remained silent for a while. A long while...too long...damn had she really managed to shut him up? She bit her lip. Okay maybe she had gone a bit too far but the way he looked at her now...damn it just confused the hell out of her. She supposed she could give him her panties as an invitation but they were beneath her jeans and it didn't seem right to do it before he got on the bronco.
