Bullwhipped (A Cowboy Romance) Read online

  He went to the bathroom and closed the door. Reaching for his buckle, he undid the snap and unzipped his jeans. They slid down to his ankles, followed by his boxers. Stepping out of them, he gripped his erection, rock solid in the palm of his hand.

  “Damn it, Olivia,” he whispered through clenched teeth.

  He stroked himself, closing his eyes as he thought about her. Leaning against the wall, he rested his head back, moving his hand up and down, his taut skin throbbing. He imagined it was Olivia - her soft hands working magic, replaced by her mouth over his nine inches. A deep and guttural moan escaped from his throat. His pace quickened along with his breathing, growing labored as his other hand cupped his balls, wishing it were her. Opening his eyes, he hoped Olivia would be there, on her knees before him, her mouth wide, ready to take him, deep down her throat.

  He was alone in the bathroom, on the verge of finishing. Grabbing a towel, he continued to stroke himself as sweat beaded on his forehead and down into his eyes, stinging them. He slowed his rhythm, imagining her again, her breasts bouncing as he slipped inside her, feeling her warmth, her wetness, tasting her salty skin, her luscious lips, every bit of her under him.

  Positioning the towel around him, he finished, groaning as he lost his balance and slid to the floor. He kept his eyes closed, thinking about her legs wrapped around him, her head resting on his chest, flushed from the sexual passion that was just endured. It was a good release, but of course, missing the one thing he desired most – Olivia Hayes.

  “Cale, you in there?” Sammy knocked hard, pulling him from his fantasy.

  “Yeah man, give me a second.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  How long had Sammy been back? How much had he heard? Reaching for his boxers, he slid them on and opened the door.

  “You got someone in there with you?” Sammy looked over his shoulder.

  “No.”

  “By the sounds of it, I could swear you were having a good time.” Sammy’s eyes widened and he laughed. “I guess you can do that without anyone, huh?” He nudged Cale. “There were plenty of women at the bar to take care of that for you.”

  Cale ignored him and fell into his bed. Pulling the covers up around him, he stared at the blank TV. Olivia was turning into more than just something he wanted. It was a longing need he couldn’t shake. Even in their short time spent together, he was feeling things he had never experienced before. The sexual intensity was a given – he was used to that. But she was interesting, she was funny, and he enjoyed talking to her and getting to know her. He never really gave anyone else a chance, and now he couldn’t wait to see her again, even if sex was out of the question.

  Was it love? It was definitely too early to tell, but Cale hoped she’d stick around long enough for him to find out.

  ***

  Olivia woke up early the next morning. Sleep was on and off and with her mind on her next ride and Cale, she was lucky to get the rest that she had. Kicking her legs off the side of the bed, she got dressed and felt her stomach growl. The motel advertised a free continental breakfast, and though she usually didn’t care for donuts, they sounded good. Walking to the lobby, she should have expected Silver Spur’s version of what they considered a wide selection of food.

  There was a couple of boxes of donuts from Wal-Mart, a carton of milk, and two different choices of cereal, neither looking appealing. Lifting the box of pastries, she noticed the grease rings on the bottom and mentally declined them.

  At least they had coffee, and she poured a cup along with a package of creamer. Sipping the warm liquid, it was decent, and since it was free, she wouldn’t complain.

  A part of her was hoping she’d run into Cale. It was funny how that worked – first she had plans to avoid him, and now she wanted to see him. Butterflies flitted in her stomach when she thought about their near kiss, and why? It wasn’t like she had ever kissed him. She’d had sex with him – complete, sweaty, uninhibited sex. Why was this all feeling like a first time?

  She gave it a few more minutes and sighed. He wasn’t there and she needed to get Chance ready for her ride. Both her and Cale were holding strong in first place. It would be awesome if they could both pull it off and win the rodeo.

  Oscar waited for her by the truck. “Bring me some coffee too?”

  “Sorry, my mind is everywhere. Want me to go back?”

  “What’s your mind on?” he asked.

  “Nothing. Just on today.”

  Oscar scoffed. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about last night. The last thing you need right now is to get involved with Cale Warren, Olivia. I don’t like that he came by here.”

  Oh, if you only knew. “Don’t worry about it, Oscar. We just went out for pizza.”

  “And in the eyes of a man like Cale, pizza means other things. It’s Cale Warren, Olivia.”

  “How many times are you gonna say his name? I know damn well who he is.”

  “Then you should know damn well to stick to your plans and not go messing around with a bull rider. He doesn’t care about you. And if he does anything to hurt you, I’ll make sure personally that he gets his ass kicked for it.”

  “Spoken like a true big brother,” Olivia smirked as she gathered up her gear. “Seriously, Oscar, you gotta stop. Don’t judge him. You don’t even know him.” She stopped herself, realizing what she had just said. Could she be even more of a hypocrite? How could she lecture her brother over the same thing she had just done to Cale?

  “When he breaks your heart, don’t come crying to me.”

  “Didn’t you just say you’d kick his ass if he did anything to me? You’re contradicting yourself there, Oscar. I’m not sure what to do.” She gave his shoulder a slight shove and laughed.

  “I hope it doesn’t get to the point where we’ll have to find out. Now get your crap and lets go get Chance. We’ve got things to do.”

  ***

  Cale sat in the stands, watching as several women went through their barrel races, none of them posting the time that Olivia had the day before. All of these years and he never paid attention to the event for the sport of it – just to watch hot cowgirls and the whole mechanics of the process. It took discipline and strict training, and he admired Olivia even more for being so good at it. The way she handled her horse made him envious – he could ride with the best of them, but when it came to making sharp turns with a small area to work with, he knew he couldn’t do it so swiftly.

  The mention of Olivia’s name on the loud speaker pulled him from his thoughts. Sitting up, he watched as the horse sprinted through. She cleared the first barrel with flying colors, but when she made her way to the second, her leg brushed the barrel, knocking it over. It was the same story for the third barrel, and Cale cringed. At least she still had her flawless ride from the day before, but today wouldn’t help holding first place if someone else did well.

  Pushing through the crowd, he caught her before she got back to the horse pins. He wasn’t sure if it was the best idea to approach her after that – he personally could not stand people flocking around, handing him cliché lines, but his legs worked against his head, and he spotted her near her truck, her brother’s body language showing he was less than happy with her performance.

  “You looked like a completely different person out there. What happened?”

  “I don’t know. It was just a bad ride, Oscar.”

  “I just don’t get it, Olivia. That looked like a bunch of rookie mistakes.”

  She dismounted and stood beside the horse, her arms folded over her chest, her head down as her brother lectured her. Cale slowly walked over, not wanting to get into their business, but something struck a chord with him. Maybe Oscar’s reaming reminded him of how his father treated him. He didn’t know – all he was sure of was that he hated seeing her so distraught, and laying into her about a bad ride wouldn’t help.

  “Hey, Olivia. You got a minute?” He tried to think of a way to change the subject.


  Looking toward him, she adjusted her hat. “Hey Cale.”

  “We’re busy,” Oscar chimed in.

  “Oscar, chill out. What more can we say? I knocked down two barrels.”

  Oscar shook his head as he laughed. “Oh, I see what’s going on here.” Pointing toward Cale, he took a few steps toward him. “This guy comes into your life and suddenly things start falling apart. You come home late, you’re tired, and then you have your worst ride in years. I told you not to get involved with him.” He continued to point his finger at Cale.

  “You can’t blame him, Oscar! Just go away. I’m a big girl. It’s my money. It’s my future! You’re not going to dictate who I talk to now.”

  Cale began to turn and leave. He didn’t want to interfere with her family or be the brunt of the argument, and most of all, didn’t want to pose as a distraction for her. He’d already been a huge ripple in her life.

  Her soft palm grasped his forearm, turning him. “Where are you going?”

  Looking down into her soft eyes, he glanced up at Oscar, who was halfway back to the arena. “Is it true?”

  “Is what true?”

  “Am I distracting you?”

  Licking her lips, she looked down. “I can’t honestly answer that, Cale, but I wouldn’t blame you for my ride today. I take full responsibility for that. Have you been on my mind?” She hesitated for a moment. “Yes, you have, Cale.”

  So many mixed emotions hit him hard. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy about that, Livie.” Livie? Yeah, he liked that. Was it too soon for a nickname? It didn’t matter – he couldn’t suck the words back into his mouth. “But if it means that I’m throwing you off of your game, I don’t know if I can live with that.”

  She smiled and bit her bottom lip. “Don’t be stupid, Cale. You should know better than anyone that it happens. We don’t always stay on one hundred percent of the time. And speaking of rides, you better get back. I think they just announced bull riding.”

  He wanted to kiss her. When would he feel free to do it again? She came on hot, then she was cold, and if he overstepped his boundaries again, it would definitely prove detrimental to any headway he had made with her. Instead, he caressed her hand.

  “You sure are beautiful on that horse. I enjoyed every second of watching you.”

  “Do us both a favor, okay? Stay on eight and salvage something out of this day.”

  Winking, he pushed aside the butterflies in his stomach. “I’ll do my best, Livie.”

  “That’s all you can do.”

  Cale felt as if there was an added step as he joined the other bull riders near the chutes. He was still confused about the whole situation with Olivia, but at least she wasn’t running away from him like he was going to kill her. He hoped she had stuck around to watch, but didn’t have time to look toward the stands to see.

  “Warren, you’re up!”

  Straddling the bull, he gripped the rope, tightening it around his glove. His pulse quickened in his neck, and he tried to control his breathing. The bull was already groaning and kicking around, proving to be a tough ride before the gate even swung open. Gripping his thighs around him, he nodded, giving the okay to start the ride.

  He second-guessed the bull immediately, and before he had a chance to gain balance, he was tossed over the front of the bull, flipping forward and onto his back. The world spun, and he instantly curled into a ball to avoid any kicks or head butts from the bull. A sharp pain shot through his leg and he gritted his teeth, his adrenaline aiding him in crawling away before the bull could inflict any other damage to him. Another cowboy helped him to his feet and they moved fast, getting him away from the danger.

  “How’s your leg?” Sammy joined the group as they eased him down to the ground outside of the arena.

  “It’s still there,” Cale replied. “It’s fine.”

  “You might oughta have the medic take a look,” another cowboy spat back. “He came down on you pretty hard.”

  Ignoring the advice, Cale stood up and put his weight on it. There was a sharp pain as he walked, but nothing he couldn’t handle. “I’m fine, damn it.”

  “Your leg could barely be attached at your hip and you’d say you’re fine, Cale.” Sammy said it loud enough that plenty of people heard, and a loud rumble of laughter erupted. Cale was annoyed by it, and pulled away, dodging any other warnings to get it checked. If anything, it’d leave a good-sized bruise, but he didn’t have time. They’d just tell him he had to sit out a few rides, and he didn’t have the money to let that happen.

  “I have to wonder why in the hell a one hundred and eighty pound man would want to ride a bull that weighs over a ton. I just don’t get it.”

  Looking up, he spotted Olivia. “Sometimes I don’t get it either.”

  “And then when that bull comes down on top of you, you are too damn stubborn to get it looked at. Battle of pride, I guess.” She shook her head. “What’s the shame in being injured? Y’all act like if you show any sign of weakness that you’re less of a man or something.”

  He limped toward her, trying his hardest to hide any discomfort. “So much for me salvaging anything out of this day.”

  “So what do you usually do after such a shitty day?” she asked, her use of a cuss word catching him off guard.

  “What do I do?” He patted his chest with his hand. “Usually go drown my sorrows in some whiskey and find a fine looking woman to help ease the pain. I guess I’m halfway there, but something tells me you’re not much of a hard liquor kind of gal, are you?”

  “There’s a first time for everything. I could use a good drink right about now.”

  “Well by all means, I wouldn’t wanna keep a lady waiting. Lets get outta here.” Cale wasn’t sure if it was the best idea, especially if he had to keep his hands to himself, but if it meant spending time with Olivia, he’d take his chances.

  Chapter Six

  Cale drove her to a bar and parked the truck. The place was already packed with tons of patrons and too many familiar faces for his liking. He pulled the keys from the ignition but didn’t get out. She deserved better than going to a bar.

  “What’s the matter?” Olivia asked, reaching for the door handle.

  “This place is a shit hole,” he replied as he twirled his key ring on his index finger.

  “I really could use a drink.”

  “This crowd isn’t the best for me to be around right now.” He stuck the key back in the ignition and the truck’s engine came back to life, the diesel rumbling. “I got a better idea. I think you’ll like it better than a smoky bar and loud music.” Pulling back out onto the road, he made a quick stop at a liquor store and bought a small bottle of Jack Daniels.

  “You’re just full of surprises, Cale.”

  “I think there’s a lake near here.”

  He took a county road outside of the town, relying heavily on his memory. It had been a few years since he had been there, but the signs pointing to the small lake confirmed he wasn’t just imagining it. There was a small picnic area on the edge of the water, and he grabbed a blanket from the backseat and spread it on the ground close to the shore.

  “You have a blanket in your truck?” Olivia asked, her smile adorable as they both sat down.

  “You travel with a bunch of cowboys and you take turns sleeping in the back. Don’t judge.”

  He twisted the cap off of the bottle and took a swig, offering it to her. She obliged, her nose crinkling as she swallowed the burning drink. Coughing, she handed it back to him.

  “You’re right, Cale. Not much of a whiskey girl.”

  “That’s okay. That’s what makes me like you so much.”

  She pulled her knees up under her chin and stared out at the water, flashing him a sideways glance. “You like me because I don’t drink whiskey?”

  Lying on his side, Cale kicked his legs out and relaxed, feeling a small buzz come on. Deciding he didn’t want to take it farther, he screwed the lid back on and
handed it to her. “I like you because you’re not what I’m used to. Hell, I’ve been out with so many women and most of them would’ve already chugged that down. Let’s face it – I’m no angel. And brace yourself, but here’s my corny moment of the night. I guess being around someone like you makes me want to be better. I need to grow out of the rambling lifestyle.”

  She rested her head on her knees, her smile so natural. “That’s probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever told me, Cale. A few days ago I would’ve thought you were just saying what I’d want to hear, but now I’m not so sure. I can tell you mean it.”

  “You’re damn right I mean it.”

  They both sat in silence as the crickets chirped and the small waves hit the shoreline. It was a cool, clear night, almost too perfect for Cale to comprehend. Olivia shifted and lay beside him, propping herself up on her elbow. Her scent was more intoxicating than any whiskey, and the small buzz he was feeling from the booze was heightened from her floral and fresh air smell. Her soft hair blew in the breeze, tickling his skin.

  “Do you know how bad I want to kiss you right now?”

  Looking into his eyes, she ran her soft hand down the side of his face, her palm smooth against his whiskers. It made him shiver, and her touch shot electricity through him.

  Leaning as close as she could, their bodies pressed together, and her lips skimmed over his, her kiss sweet. Cupping the back of her head, he opened his mouth, inviting her, and to his surprise, she responded as her tongue dipped between his teeth. He savored the flavor, remembering how it was the night they had made love.

  Her fingers fanned through his hair, trailing down his check, his neck, and slipping under his shirt, her silky touch mesmerizing. He broke the kiss first but he moved, burying his face in the nape of her neck. He held his breath when her hand moved even lower, resting on the buckle of his belt, tugging at it.

  So bad did he want this to happen. He had imagined it, craved it, and now that they were on the brink of allowing it, he scooted away, completely breaking the physical contact with her. Earning her respect meant having self-control, even if it was the hardest thing he ever had to do.