Twins for the Bull Rider (9 page)

Still, with dressy cowgirl boots and a bit of makeup, it looked respectable enough. Though if the boys were going with her, she'd have opted for jeans and a T-shirt. That would've been much more suitable.

But the boys weren't going to be there. She had the evening to herself. To do with as she pleased. One night of fun. One night to let go. That was all. Just one night.

She twirled once, the skirt fluttering around her upper thighs. She took another sip of wine, and the sight of her blue fingernail polish against the glass made her laugh. Jen had assured her the shade was in and perfectly acceptable for women their age.

Their
age. The two women were twenty-two. Only three years younger than her. But next to them, she felt ancient. Cissy frowned and smoothed a trembling hand over her hair. Then added a fresh coat of lipstick.

She'd had relationships in the past. Very short, very casual ones. Before Crystal had had the boys. But even then she'd shied away from anything serious. And serious was definitely a risk she couldn't afford now. Every choice she made affected Kayden and Jayden.

Only, Dominic was different from the other men she'd dated. Or any she'd ever met before. He seemed honest and straightforward. Safe, even.

“Just one night,” she stated to the familiar stranger in the mirror.

Just one night
. She'd ask Dominic for one night and get him out of her system.

“Aunt Cissy.”

She started at Jayden's call, the wineglass tipping in her hand. She sat it back down, out of sight, and stepped over to the boys hovering in the doorway.

“Hey, you two. Ready for a big night of camping?” Squatting, she threw her arms out and smiled. Her arms grew heavy when they both hung back, surveying her with quizzical expressions.

Jayden moved into her arms with slow steps. He pulled back to run his fingers over her dangling earrings, another loan from Jen, and frowned. “You look like Mama. When she used to...”

Cissy froze. She had no trouble finishing the sentence.

When she used to
go away with Daddy.

Jayden's hands played at her ears for a few moments then dropped to encircle her shoulders. He pressed his face into her hair, breathing deep before murmuring an approval.

“She still smells like Aunt Cissy,” he tossed over his shoulder to Kayden.

Kayden remained in the doorway, examining her from head to toe.

“Kayden?” Cissy shifted Jayden to the side. “Can I have a hug before you take off?”

He tilted his head to the side, not quite meeting her eyes, then shuffled over.

Drawing them in close, she kissed the top of their blond heads. “I'm going to miss you two tonight.”

“Will you?” Kayden interrogated with harsh tones.

Cissy eased back and tapped Kayden's chin until he raised his head.

“Yes. Very much.” She held his stare.

“Come on, Kayden.” Jayden gave his brother a tug, then darted toward the door. “Pop said to hurry.”

Kayden moved out of her embrace and joined his brother. He paused on the threshold and turned to face her. “You're staying here tonight, right? You're not going anywhere?”

Cissy shook her head for emphasis. “I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here. And I'll be waiting for you when you get back tomorrow.” She used her most teasing tone. “You better take notes on this trip. Because I'm going to quiz you on the do's and don'ts of camping when you get back.”

Kayden's scowl melted away under a prideful grin. “I'll be ready.”

He took off, his feet pounding down the stairs.

Cissy rose and returned to the dresser. Snatching up the wineglass, she tossed the remainder of the wine back in one gulp. She swallowed hard, forcing down the bittersweet vintage.

Just one night
.
Get him out of your system
.

Cissy put the empty wineglass down gingerly. She tugged at her skirt. One distraction was okay as long as there was a time limit on it. This one had to expire as soon as the sun rose.

She straightened the lipstick tube on the dresser, carefully avoiding her reflection, then made her way to the door.

“Just one night,” she whispered.

* * *

D
RINKS
FLOWED
. M
USIC
POUNDED
. And you couldn't take a step without nudging your neighbor. For Raintree Ranch, this was a rare occasion. For those in the rodeo circuit, it could easily be referred to as...last night.

Dominic tightened his grip around the neck of the beer in his hand. The chilled bottle had warmed long ago and the soggy label kept clinging to his palm. Any other time, he'd be on his third or fourth by now. And any other time, he'd be getting a kick out of Colt's rambling drunken chatter.

But for some reason, neither of those things did it for him tonight.

“And you know Ol' Boy is a big boy, yeah?” Colt's voice sounded at his side. “I mean you saw that sucker take a nosedive out of the chute the last time we...”

Dominic sighed, his gaze straying from Colt back to the crowded field before him. The Fourth of July celebration was in high gear. He had to hand it to Logan. He sure knew how to throw a party and turn a dollar at the same time.

Midnight was right around the corner, and the mob of people dancing in the floodlit field seemed to swell instead of dwindle. Dominic visually sifted through the crowd, straining to catch the flash of a blue dress. Every now and then, it'd peek out from between the crush of bodies. He'd keep an eye on it for as long as he could then it'd disappear again.

And he'd have to start all over.

Colt's voice rang in his ear. “That side-winding son o' a bitch jumped...”

There it was again
. That slip of blue cotton.

The front line of bodies stomped then spun, giving him a full-on view of Cissy. She laughed, swaying with the crowd. Her blond hair bounced, then swung with her turn. That short skirt of hers did the same thing. The damn thing crept farther and farther up the slim curves of her ivory legs. Dominic's body tightened. He'd never loved or hated a skirt so much.

“...whole lot of 'em ran around like a bunch of ninnies on a...”

Her boots slipped on the grass and the guy beside her took her elbow, steadying her.

Dominic's fist clenched.
Sleazy bastard.
That cowboy had been trailing her for the past hour.

Cissy flashed a smile. Just a polite smile. Then nudged the cowboy off.

Dominic grinned, his hand uncurling.
Atta girl.

The crowd shifted again, blocking his view. Dominic stretched his neck to the side and strained to track her down again.

“And you know what that fool said?”

Fingers wrapped around Dominic's forearm and gave it a good shaking. Beer sloshed out of his bottle and splashed onto his boots. Colt fell into Dominic's side, grinning and shouting over the band's music at their backs.

“That fool said, ‘You got a light?'” Colt paused, shoving his face closer. “Can you believe that?
You got a light?
”

Colt's deep laughter got the best of him. It rattled his frame, causing him to stumble and tip his own beer.

Dominic grimaced. There went another hefty splash against his boots.

“I swear, that had to be the funniest shit I've ever heard,” Colt whooped, throwing an arm over his belly and shaking his head.

“Sorry.” Dominic threw a hand up to his ear. “I didn't catch all of it.”

Colt regained control of himself and adopted a somber expression. “What's up with you, man? You ain't listened to a word I've said all night.”

“I don't know. Just not feelin' it tonight, I guess.” Dominic shrugged, then turned back to the crowd.

There she was. The song ended and Cissy spun once more to a smiling stop. She clapped with everyone else, looking up at the band, cheeks flushed and breathing hard.

“Uh-huh.” Colt's tone tamed. “I get it.”

“Get what?” Dominic tore his eyes from Cissy and faced Colt with what he hoped was a bland expression.

“Hey, cowboys,” a feminine voice chimed.

The brunette bumping her way in between Dominic and Colt with her hip was anything but bland. Painted face and tight jeans, she'd taken the same path to them that three others had over the course of the night.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked, eyeing Colt. “Makes a girl feel special being surrounded by such strong, sexy men.” She pressed against Dominic's side and fluttered her lashes up at him. “Dom, right?” Her pink nails tugged at his platinum buckle. “The Dom Slade? PBR World Champion?”

Dom
. As if she knew him. As if she knew he'd welcome her touch. He brushed her grip aside and moved his beer into his other hand. He was unable to escape her eyes, though. They clung to every inch of him, invading and stifling.

The woman's bravado slipped at his silence. She tossed her hair over her shoulders, casting nervous glances into the crowd.

“I had a bet going with my friends that you were him.” She giggled. “I'm just about sure of it. So are you?”

Dominic met Colt's eyes over her shoulder. Colt cocked an eyebrow and shrugged, turning away to take a deep swig of beer.

Dominic relented with a grumble. “I'm Dominic Slade, yeah.”

“Well, Dom, I was wondering...”

There it was again.
That damned nickname
. An endearment on his friends' or family's tongues. But a curse on a stranger's.

An almost breathless Cissy jogged up to his side. Her short blond hair fell around her flushed face in shiny disarray.

“Dominic?” She held out a hand, palm up, and rushed out, “Would you like to cash in on our dance now?”

She smiled but her hand trembled and her expression was unsure. It cost her. He could see that at once. He'd rectify that right away.

“I'd love to.” Dominic moved to take her hand but his forgotten beer intruded.

“I'll get that,” Cissy said.

She grabbed the bottle and moved to toss it in a nearby waste barrel. Pausing—apparently thinking better of it—she upended it and took a deep swig before trashing it with a clang.

After taking his hand, she stopped and mumbled, “Dutch courage. Just so you know, I don't do this very often.”

Damn, this little beauty meant business
. She tugged him forward, weaving between couples swaying to a slow country beat, then turned to move into his arms.

Dominic's tension eased and he pulled her close. She laid her cheek on his chest, and he took a moment just to savor the soft curves of her body against the hard line of his. They swayed in unison, pressing tighter together with each brush from a neighboring couple.

“You don't need Dutch courage with me.” Dominic's voice emerged with a husk. He cleared his throat. “I thought you knew that.”

“Maybe not with you,” she murmured, her words slow and slurred. “But you weren't exactly on your own, in case you didn't notice.”

The sour note in her voice didn't escape his attention. He rolled his lips, trying to keep his smile from spreading.

“So you saw that, huh?” He tilted his head to sneak a peek at her face but she just snuggled closer. Her hair tickled his nose, forcing his grin to grow. Unable to resist, he pressed a soft kiss to the top of her blond head. “Well, consider us even. I spent the better part of the evening watching that cowboy follow you all over the damn field.”

She lifted her head, her brows drawing down. “Who?” Her expression quickly turned mocking. “This is a ranch, Dominic. There's nothing but cowboys out here.”

Laughter escaped him. “Nevertheless, I noticed one in particular that took a shine to you.”

“I hope so,” she returned softly.

He stilled. Those big beautiful blues were on him again. Easing right through his skin, deep inside. They gazed up at him, soft and undemanding. Adoring, almost. So different from any other woman's.

A heavy weight unfolded in his gut and seeped into his veins. Whom did she see? Dom, the champion bull rider full of good times? Or Dominic, the sometimes dependable guy who came through in a pinch?

And, more daunting still, could he live up to either?

“What do you see?” Dominic winced, his face flaming. The words had tumbled out before he could stop them.

“What?” Confusion clouded her delicate features.

It was too late to back out now. And he'd be damned if he did.

“When you look at me,” he urged. “What do you see?”

Cissy remained silent, studying him again. Then she slid her hands up to caress his chest.

“A good man,” she stated, her voice just carrying over the swell of the music.

His stomach dropped. He jerked his head to the side to hide his expression.

A good man.
Those were a dime a dozen. One on every corner. Nothing special. And everyone knew they always finished last with nothing to show for it.

“Is that all?” He closed his eyes at the bitterness in his words.

The gentle warmth of her palm touched his jaw, nudging his face back to hers. He opened his eyes to find her rising on her toes. Her words soft and sweet in his ear.

“When you've never known one,” she whispered, “it's everything.”

Something strong enveloped him. It surged outward from his chest and blazed through his body. Every inch of his skin tingled, dancing as though life had just been breathed into it. It was overwhelming.

“Dominic?”

Trembling, his hands moved of their own accord to grip her upper arms and press into the soft flesh. He fought like hell to keep from crushing her against him.

“Will you come up with me?” she asked.

She tugged his shirt, motioning to the path leading away from the rowdy clamor littering the field. Toward the main house.