Eight Seconds to Fly, page 12
He rode that bull for eight, just like I knew he would as soon as he burst from the gate. I held my breath as the bull did a quick direction change as Dylan was slipping his hand out. The bullfighters rushed in when they saw the same thing I did. It happened in the space of a heartbeat, but when you were standing there, it was in slow motion.
Dylan flipped forward over the bulls head, his face smashing into the bull's skull, and his body went lax. He was hung up and unconscious, and that bull was flinging his body around like it was a rag doll. The bullfighters were there in moments, one going for Dylan’s rope, the other two keeping the bull distracted as Dylan’s body hit the dirt hard.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. The medics ran in, stretcher in hand. “No. Get up, Dylan. Get the fuck up,” I whispered, and someone gripped my hand. I looked over to see a white-faced Branch. I wanted to rush out there. To make him speak to me.
“He’ll be okay,” Branch murmured, but I didn’t know if he was talking to me or himself. They braced his neck, and slipped him onto the stretcher. I saw Beau’s pale face amongst the people carrying him out of the arena, and he gave us a nod. He was awake.
My knees shook and Branch’s arms slipped around my waist, keeping me upright. Frankie ran up from out the back, his face pale. “Is he okay?”
Branch shrugged. “Beau said he’s awake, so that's good.” He looked around at the riders, their faces all concerned. Dylan was well loved, not just by the fans but by the other riders. We were a close knit bunch and when one of us was injured bad, we all felt it. This was a sport where you were bound to get hurt, where you can watch your friends die. We knew that. But it still shook us all when it happened.
Branch guided me from the rails. “Come on. I’m done for the night. They’ll send him to the hospital for that one. We’ll meet them there.”
I nodded and followed Branch down to collect our gear, never letting go of Frankie’s hand.
When we made it to the hospital, Beau was standing outside a curtained room. I ran over to him and he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me tight to his chest. “He’s okay. Bad concussion and a couple of black eyes, plus he won’t be able to ride for a few weeks, but he’s okay.”
I let out a shaky breath. Thank god. I kissed Beau’s cheek, and stepped out of his arms. I walked in on a nurse flirting with Dylan as she took his blood pressure. Still so damn handsome, despite the fact he had two massive black eyes. When his gaze landed on me, he smiled so widely my heart felt like it was going to crack.
“Tessa,” he said softly, the flirting nurse forgotten. I just looked at him and burst into tears. Fuck. “Come here, Darlin’.” I rushed to his side and buried my face in his chest as he stroked my hair and whispered that he was okay.
I never judged Frankie for not wanting to watch me ride, especially after what happened with Luiz. But I actually got it now. That ten seconds after he got caught up would be forever etched into my brain. I would see it again when I closed my eyes tonight. I would wonder what would have happened if the bullfighters hadn’t been as good as they were tonight. Actually, I didn’t have to wonder. I knew what would have happened. He’d be dead.
“I don’t think I fully comprehended how hard it would be from outside the barriers,” I confessed into his chest, as his fingers combed through my hair.
“I know,” he said softly, and the nurse left quietly.
I bit my lip, and looked up into his violet blue eyes. “Would you do something for me?”
He grabbed my chin and pulled me up to kiss me softly, his lips chasing the tears on my cheeks. “Anything.”
“Wear a helmet?” This would sound like a simple request, hell a logical request, to the rest of society. But bull riders were a superstitious lot that were married to their routine. They wore the same shirts, the same jeans, the same lucky hat. They never put their hat on the bed, or wore yellow. It was a whole thing, and asking him to change something was a big deal. Plus, a lot of riders felt like a helmet threw off their balance, especially if they learned to ride without one.
Dylan frowned, which looked uncomfortable with his banged up face. “I’ll try. The docs say I can’t get another concussion for a month, so I’m out until then. I’ll train with it on, and I’ll try.”
I grinned, because honestly that was more than I’d hoped for. I kissed him softly. “Can we bust you out of here yet? You can come stay with me and Frankie. We’ll watch you for the night.”
He grinned, pulling me down for another quick kiss. “I normally stay with Branch and Beau, but I never say no to a pretty lady who wants me to stay the night,” he growled, winking. Be still my heart, that man hits me right in the ovaries every damn time.
An hour later, we were all loaded up in Beau’s truck, Branch at the wheel and Dylan stretched out in the front seat. I was squished in the back between Frankie and Beau, which was honestly my version of heaven. I was holding a bag of meds and Dylan’s gear was stowed away in his duffle in the back of the truck.
The nurses looked so sad when I stole all the eye-candy from the waiting room, and I secretly smiled to myself. I felt a bit smug; they all wanted me and that was a heady damn feeling. How I was going to choose between them was a whole other question.
The thought of losing any of them dampened my spirits a little, but when Frankie cast me a concerned look, I pasted on a fake smile. He saw right through it of course, but recognized it for what it was, a sign that I didn’t want to talk about what was bugging me. It wouldn’t put him off for long, but hopefully long enough that we'd be back at the hotel and Dylan would be tucked up in bed with me.
A short, silent ride later, we arrived back at our hotel.They all got out of the truck and walked us to our hotel door. Frankie eyed Branch, who had his arm wrapped around my waist, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he put an arm around Dylan’s shoulders. “Want me to carry you across the threshold, meu bebê dodói?”
Dylan raised an eyebrow at me. “He called you his sick baby,” I laughed.
Dylan grinned at Frankie, causing the split in his lip to open back up and seep a little blood. “Only if you want to be a little less pretty, asshole.”
Frankie led Dylan inside, then it was just me, Beau and Branch standing on the doorstep. “Crazy day, right?” Lameness, thy name is Tessa May.
They had no idea though. There was the high of the eight seconds, and then the absolute lunacy of my moment with Frankie in the storeroom. Then Dylan and now here we were and my mind was struggling to keep up with what I should be feeling. Elated? Terrified? Hell, I had no idea now. Maybe I needed ice cream and a nap.
Branch nodded, stepping closer. “Yeah, crazy.” He leaned forward and kissed me softly, uncaring that Beau was standing right next to him. His kisses were just typical of him, probing and strong, and so fucking hot. Just as my body curled into his, he pulled away. “You rode good today.”
My whole body flushed at the compliment. He strode away and I turned a wide eyed look to Beau. He was grinning, his gold eyes sparkling. “That? That was hot as fuck.” Then he kissed me as well, his thumb stroking over my cheek.
He was still grinning when he stepped away. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Nugget. Don’t forget to come by and let me massage that thigh.” He waggled his eyebrows and I had the distinct impression that wasn’t the only thing he would be massaging. He kissed my cheek again, and strode away. Just before he turned the corner, he sprinted back, grabbed me up in his arms and pressed me against the door. “Can’t let him be the only one who gets a dramatic exit.” He kissed me hard once more, all tongue and teeth, and then dropped me back onto shaky feet.
I gaped after him as he sauntered away. These guys were going to be the death of me.
When he was gone, I finally turned and walked into the hotel room quietly.
My feet stilled when I saw Frankie helping Dylan out of his undershirt, his hands carefully peeling it over the other man’s head. My heart seized in my chest and I bit my lip.
He was the best human being on the planet. How had it taken me this long to see that?
“I was going to offer you a hand, but you guys seem to have it under control.”
They both looked up, and Frankie waggled his eyebrows at me. “Never thought I’d be undressing another man for you, Gatinha, but here we are.”
Dylan raised an eyebrow at Frankie. “What’s Gatinha mean?”
“Kitten,” Frankie responded, stepping away from Dylan to peel off his own shirt.
Dylan’s throaty laugh echoed around the room. “And you didn’t know that he had a crush on you? Girl, you must have been living in a different universe. No one calls another person Kitten unless he wants to pet her, you know what I’m saying?”
Frankie pointed to Dylan, a smug grin on his face. “See? It was obvious to everyone but you.”
I gave them both a sour look that turned smug when I began to unbutton my shirt. They watched me undo each button like I was the balls in the lottery. When I got to the last button and slipped my shirt off my shoulders, the twin looks of lust on their faces made me feel like a damn Queen. “Stop looking at me like you want to eat me alive and get into bed.” I quirked an eyebrow at Frankie, having one of our wordless conversations. It went something like this:
Hey, can Dylan sleep in bed with us, or would that be weird.
As long as he doesn’t touch my dick, it’ll be fine.
You are completely ridiculous.
Did we have that whole conversation with our eyebrows and shoulders? Yes. Yes we did. Because when you spend every day with a person, you can read them better than yourself most of the time.
Dylan was looking at us like we were aliens. “Dylan, you can sleep with me and Frankie, or there's the pull out couch if you’d be more comfortable there?”
His eyes flitted between us both. “That’s what that whole eyebrow thing was about?” he said, pointing to us both. I nodded and he shook his head. “Sure, as long as he doesn’t touch my dick.”
Frankie and I both laughed, but he slapped Dylan on the shoulder. “You aren’t that fucking lucky. Dibs on the big spoon.”
He launched himself into the air, belly flopping onto the bed like a child. I shook my head and shrugged at Dylan, kicking off my pants. I stepped back into the door so I had a decent run up and cannonballed into the center of the bed. Dylan shucked out of his pants and crawled in next to me. Then there were three in the bed.
We laid there awkwardly for a second, before I thought fuck it. I backed my ass up into Frankie’s body, and dragged Dylan closer so I could put my head on his chest. It was wall to wall man and I’m not gonna lie, it was the best feeling ever.
Dylan tangled his hands in my hair, and kissed it. “Night, Tessa.”
I kissed his chest, just appreciating the scent of him though we both needed a shower bad. “I’ll wake you up in a couple of hours for your meds,” I murmured.
“Mmhmm,” Dylan said groggily. “Tessa?”
Frankie’s hand traced soothing circles onto my hip, and it was putting me to sleep. “Yeah?”
“I’m not opposed to threesomes,” he slurred, then his soft snores echoed around the room. I could feel Frankie’s body shaking behind me as he laughed silently.
I curled an arm over his waist. “Maybe next time, Champ,” I whispered into the darkness, and Frankie curled around me more. “Definitely next time,” he growled. “Sweet dreams, Querida.”
Sweet dreams indeed.
13
When I woke up in a tangle of limbs the following morning, I’m not going to lie, my mind went right to the gutter. Two glorious chests pressed against me, and Frankie had a leg slung over mine, and more amusingly, over Dylan as well.
I needed to pee, but I was just way too comfy to move just yet. Frankie had his face buried in the back of my neck, the steady deep breaths of sleep whispering over my skin. Dylan had his face snuggled into my chest, literally he was nose to nipple. His face looked even worse today, which I didn't think would be possible. He was due for more pain meds, and the image of him being flung around flashed back into my brain. I was helpless to resist as I ran my fingers through his dark hair. It was soft and shiny, and when I scraped my nails against his scalp, he all but purred in his sleep. Something in my chest tightened, and it felt a lot like feelings. Yeah, that was my cue to get out of bed.
I tried to wiggle out from between them stealthily, but there were too many limbs. Frankie’s arm tightened around my waist. “Stop wiggling and go back to sleep,” he murmured sleepily. He pressed his lips to the back of my neck, and I sighed happily. Going back to sleep in his arms suddenly felt like the best thing ever. Unfortunately, my bladder trumped my errant vagina.
“Gotta pee and get Dylan’s meds,” I whispered, and climbed over Frankie’s body. I should have known better, because as soon as I was straddling his lap, he thrust his morning wood against my ass.
“Mmm, as nice as that would be, we are about three seconds away from accidentally getting kinky with watersports,” I said as I pecked him on the lips.
His laughter followed me to the bathroom. I peed, brushed my teeth and finger combed my hair before tying it back into a bun on the top of my head. I looked like a bedraggled mess, but this was me. I wasn’t going to pretend that I woke up looking like birds and mice gave me a makeover in the middle of the night. I grabbed Dylan’s meds and a glass of water. From experience, I knew he’d have the headache from hell right about now.
When I walked back into the room, both Frankie and Dylan were awake, having a quiet, intense conversation.
I cleared my throat. “If you guys are about to make out, can I watch?”
Dylan laughed, looking sexy and sleepy. He put both hands up and made gimme gimme hands. “Come here, Baby Girl. I like Frankie, but you are prettier.”
I couldn’t help the goofy smile on my face either. I walked over and held the pills out to him. “Nuh-uh. Medicine first.Then snuggles.”
He rested on his elbows and dutifully took his pills. “Are we roleplaying sexy nurses? Because I think I’m ready for my tongue bath.”
I climbed under the blankets, draping my body along his. Dylan had a body like he was made for GQ shoots. All lean, hard muscles that I would normally very much enjoy running my tongue over. But I’m pretty sure sex after significant brain injuries was a no-no. So instead of doing all the terrible, depraved things I wanted to do to his body, I just kissed him softly.
Tender kisses are dangerous. A tender kiss was like splitting your chest open and laying yourself bare. A fervent kiss is full of passion and pleasure, but a tender kiss shoots directly for the heart. You didn’t tenderly kiss strangers.
Apparently, while I was trying to be good, Dylan’s body had other ideas. His hands grabbed my ass and he ground his morning erection into my core, making me moan a little. I couldn’t help but push back against him.
“Dylan…” I started, but got lost in his sipping kiss a moment. I pulled back a little. “Dylan, you just got your head stomped on. We are not fucking,” I chastized. Hardest words I’ve ever had to say. I looked over at Frankie who was watching me with hooded eyes full of heat. I don’t know why I felt relieved at that moment, I guess I was waiting for jealousy to rear its head.
Dylan didn’t seem overly perturbed. “Heads fine,” he grumbled, though I saw him wince when he moved too fast. Seeing him in pain seemed to snap me from my lust-haze.
I pushed his shoulders back onto the bed. “There’s time, Dylan. Neither of us are going anywhere. I can wait ‘til you can bring your A-game without blowing a blood vessel.” I kissed him softly, then rolled off him and back into the center of the bed. I turned my head, and Frankie kissed my cheek.
A girl could get damn used to this.
I cuddled my body back into Frankie’s and then dragged Dylan closer until I was wrapped in muscle. Frankie nuzzled my cheek. “Wanna order pancakes from room service and eat them in bed?”
Yeah, I could get really used to this.
The Uber dropped me off at the arena, and I pulled my gear out after me. I left Frankie at the hotel with Dylan. Mostly because Dylan had looked like a kicked puppy when I got ready to ride. Not being able to ride is hell. I knew it. And Dylan was going to be out for at least a month and that was a long time when you lived and breathed this sport. I didn’t know if he’d stay here in Fort Worth or if he’d go home for the month, wherever that was. A part of me hoped he’d travel around with me, but that might be too much to ask for a new relationship, especially when he had to watch me get ready to go do the thing he so badly wanted to do every week.
I wonder if I could woo him with consolation blow jobs? Hell, maybe I should get the consolation blow job, because after a day of hanging with a half naked Frankie and Dylan, I felt an itch under my skin that I needed to scratch. Beau had called earlier to see if I needed a ride to the arena, but I’d turned him down. I hadn’t been quite ready to leave the love nest filled with breakfast food and hot bodies quite that early. I’d laid between the guys for most of the day, talking shit, watching daytime movies and eating pizza. Probably not a great combination to ride on, but it had been a really good day.
When I left, Frankie was taking Dylan on a man date to the movies and then the bar to keep him distracted for the afternoon.
God, I loved that man. I’d worried that adding sex to our friendship would cause drama, but it seemed so right that I can’t believe we hadn’t done it sooner.
The niggling thought that eventually I’d have to choose between them all prodded at the back of my brain, but I ignored it. That was a later problem to stress about at two a.m. Tonight’s only problem was a bull named Spitfire and holding my nerve for eight seconds.
I walked into the locker room, and it was like every other sporting locker room. People joked or prayed, most were stretching or caring for their ropes. I could hear Junior’s obnoxious laugh but I ignored it and him. I didn’t have the time or the energy to emotionally spar with that dickhole tonight.
