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On the other side of the steer, Finn’s eyes were alight with that fire we’d stoked for so many years, the unspoken vow to leave it all out there passing between us in a single nod.
Then the gate flew open with a metallic clang, and just like that, the world stripped away until nothing existed but this moment.
Gambler exploded into powerful strides the second that steer moved from the chute, his bunched muscles transitioning into an unstoppable burst of forward momentum. Finn surged forward on the other side. Three swings of his rope, and he had the horns, turning the steer just right for me to do my job.
My awareness narrowed to the rope whipping through the air and the hoofbeats’ rumbling drumbeat reverberating through my bones. As the steer veered left, I let the loop sail in a low arc, wincing as it cinched perfectly around the hind legs. Gambler dropped back on his haunches, front hooves digging in as he threw his weight against the jarring strain. Finn’s end went taut, and just like that, the big animal was locked down.
The clock flashed a time that had my pulse pounding harder than Gambler’s feet hitting the dirt. A triumphant whoop burst from me before I could rein it in. Finn echoed the cry as we basked in the rush of a flawless run.
Riding that wave of adrenaline, we exited the arena, and I slid from the saddle with a grounding thud, just in time to catch an airborne mass of golden locks and denim barreling into me like a little blonde hurricane.
“Wyatt!” Kinsley crashed against my chest with a breathless laugh, knocking the wind out of me.
Her slender frame fitted against mine like she was made to be there. My arms closed around her waist as I breathed in her crisp, sweet apple scent. Just for a moment, I allowed myself to indulge in the pure, uncomplicated thrill of having her in my embrace.
Then she pulled back just enough to beam up at me, blue eyes sparkling with excitement. “Oh my god, you two were amazing out there!” Spinning in my arms, she ran her hands along Gambler’s neck and settled on his face. “And you, big guy! You were such a good boy. Yes, you were.”
I watched her fawn over the big gelding—her horse, I had to remind myself—with a strange, unsettled feeling twisting my gut.
Kinsley turned that blazing smile back on me, happier than a kid at Christmas. “That time, Wyatt! Did you see it? You guys smoked the competition!”
I couldn’t resist grinning back at her infectious enthusiasm. “We did alright.”
She rolled her eyes, giving me a playful shove. “Alright? That was phenomenal!” Stepping in close, she pinned me with a look that damn near sizzled me from the inside out. “I knew you two would be unstoppable as a team.”
The way she looked at me, all bright-eyed admiration and shining belief, hit me harder than a punch to the gut. A slow coil of want unfurled low in my belly as I drank in the flush of her cheeks, the tousled disarray of her hair, and the slightly parted lips that were just begging for...
“Couldn’t have done it without this big guy,” I managed as I patted Gambler’s shoulder.
“Is that so?” She drifted closer until I could feel the heat radiating from her body. Her sweet, mouthwatering scent enveloped me as her fingers trailed up my arm in a feather-light touches, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “Or maybe you’re just that good.”
My throat went dry as her words carried that raspy edge of pure sin. “Kins...”
“I’ve missed watching you ride,” she breathed, stepping even closer so her front was brushing mine. Her voice dropped to a gravelly whisper that had me fully hardening against my wishes. “You’re one hell of a sight out there, cowboy.”
I squeezed my eyes shut against the dizzying wave of want that slammed into me hard enough to damn near buckle my knees. This woman would be the death of me, no doubt about it.
“Am I interrupting something?” Finn’s amused drawl pierced our little two-person bubble.
Kinsley jerked back, colour flooding her cheeks as she smoothed back her wild hair. “Not at all,” she replied in a breezy tone. Clearing her throat, she went on, “Just congratulating you boys on a spectacular run.”
One brow inched up as Finn’s too-knowing gaze slid between us. “I’m sure.”
Kinsley flashed him a bright smile before turning to greet Maisey when she approached. As the two wandered off, chatting and laughing, Kinsley glanced back over her shoulder, blue eyes still shining with that same heated promise.
Part of me wanted nothing more than to chase after her, to haul her back against me and slant my mouth over hers. But the other part felt a strange sense of relief at having that blinding, all-consuming blaze between us banked for now.
“Look away from the witch and her magic powers,” Finn said.
“What?”
“You’re getting that dopey, Kinsley-whipped look on your face again,” Finn remarked with a shake of his head as he clapped me on the shoulder.
“Shut up.” I scowled at him, resisting the impulse to look back over my shoulder for another glimpse of her swaying hips.
“Do you want me to get you a mirror?”
As we started walking the horses back toward the barn, Grady and Rhett caught up.
