Page 132 of Saltwater Cowboy

The crowd whooped and hollered as he held on longer than anyone before him. And when the bull finally jerked hard enough to send him flying onto the padded floor, he rolled onto his back, laughing, completely unfazed.

I should’ve been smug. I should’ve thrown some sarcastic remark his way.

Instead, I was too busy trying to remember how to breathe.

Wells pushed himself up and sauntered toward me, that stupid, cocky grin still in place.

“Well?” he asked, a little out of breath. He tilted his head. “Still think I was gonna last three seconds?”

I forced a smirk, ignoring the way my stomach was currently a war zone of butterflies. “I mean, you did okay. I’ve seen better.”

His eyes flickered with amusement. “Oh yeah? Who?”

I shrugged, taking a sip of my drink. “I don’t know. Someone.”

He stepped closer, just enough to invade my space, and dammit, I let him.

“Sounds like you’re just afraid to admit you were impressed.” His voice was smooth, teasing, laced with something I wasn’t prepared to face head-on.

I scoffed. “I think you’re just looking for an ego boost.”

He leaned in slightly, his breath warm against my ear. “And I think you liked watching me ride.”

I nearly choked on air.

He pulled back, his smirk widening at my flustered expression before he grabbed his beer and took a long, slow sip.

Oh. He was playing dirty.

I cleared my throat, desperate to regain control. “Are you done showing off? Or should I expect you to lasso something next?”

He laughed, the sound deep and full. “I think I’ve done enough damage for one night.”

Lies.

The damage had been done the second he pulled me into his arms outside. The bull riding? That was just overkill.

And as much as I wanted to play it cool, to brush it off like this was just another fun night out, I knew the truth.

I was falling for Wells Calloway and had absolutely no idea how to stop it.

Wells finished his beer and shot me a look that said he knew exactly what he was doing to me. That smug, easy confidence made me want to either smack him or kiss him. Maybe both.

I needed to get out of my head. Fast.

“Alright, cowboy,” I said, tilting my chin up. “Since you’re so damn good at it, let’s see if you can handle a real challenge.”

His brows lifted. “Oh? And what’s that?”

I turned toward the bull, then back to him with a slow, deliberate smirk. “Me.”

His eyes darkened just enough to send a shiver down my spine, but I ignored it. Instead, I marched up to the attendant, handed over my cash, and climbed onto the bull before I could second-guess myself.

Wells leaned against the railing, arms crossed, watching with barely concealed amusement. “You sure about this, Sunshine?”

I shot him a glare. “Just shut up and watch.”

The attendant started the bull at an easy pace, and I did my best to hold on, squeezing my thighs tight and gripping the handle like my life depended on it. Which, honestly, it kind of did.