Page 5 of Rope Me, Cowboys

“That’s right,” he said. “Dad told you there were three of us, right?”

“You’re the snot-nosed kid I’m supposed to babysit?”

Sawyer laughed. “I guess so.”

“And you all live on the ranch?”

“Yup.”

“And I guess they’re all grown up, too?” I squeaked.

“All grown up,” he agreed with a grin in my direction.

I was in so much trouble.

5

Amber

One Week Before

“I’m staging an intervention,” Haley said as we hurried to the cab. “This is too big for wallowing at home, and we’re out of miso soup. We’re going out dancing.”

“I look like I’m going to a fundraiser.”

“You look hot,” Haley said. “Unbutton a few buttons, and you’ll give off a sexy librarian vibe.”

“At least he had the decency not to say it’s not what you think.”

“His dick was literally still in that bitch’s mouth,” Haley said, slamming the cab door behind us. “How could it not be what you think?”

“Four mouths are better than two,” I raged. “I barely passed math and even I could count five people in that room.”

“Maybe he forgot about the girl sucking his dick.”

“Maybe he wasn’t counting me,” I said, my voice cracking. “He obviously doesn’t want to have sex with me, or he already would have. Waiting until marriage, my ass.”

What really hurt was that he’d had no reason to cheat. I’d have done all that with him. I’d wanted to do all that. But noooo. Charlie had wanted to “preserve my chastity.”

And for three years I’d let him, missing out when all my friends got laid, listening to Haley’s horrible and hilarious sex stories, while I pretended I didn’t mind that my boyfriend didn’t want to go beyond kissing with me. I’d respected his beliefs. But it turned out, his beliefs were bullshit. He wanted sex, too, he just didn’t want me.

“Shut up,” Haley said, her nails digging into my forearm. “This is absolutely in no way your fault.”

“You’re right,” I said, allowing rage to replace the shattered feeling inside me. “It’s not like I was the one holding out so he had to get it elsewhere.”

“And even if you were holding out, there’s no excuse for cheating,” she said fiercely. “Besides, did you see his dick? That thing was not very impressive. No offense, but I think you dodged a bullet right there.”

“It did kind of look like a bullet, didn’t it?”

“That’s better,” Haley said. “Now. We’re going to go out dancing, and loads of guys are going to want you, because you’re amazing. And I’m going to buy you so many shots you puke, and take care of you all the way home.”

“I’m not going home,” I said. “I’ve been waiting to have sex for three years, and now I don’t have a reason not to. I’m going to get laid tonight.”

6

Amber

Now