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“I’m heading to Texas for the Houston Livestock and Rodeo, where my darling little sister will be competing.”

Houston? That’s not too far from my hometown. Maybe… never mind.

“Your sister does rodeo?”

“She does, and she’s a total badass, too. She’ll be in the pros soon enough.”

“That’s awesome,” I complimented.

I had slipped down Vera’s body and rested on her abdomen during my nap. I lay there, rubbing her hip while listening intently as Vera animatedly talked about her younger sister. I didn’t want to move and break the spell. She was opening up, giving me a glimpse into her world that she guarded so carefully.

We’re making progress, and that’s all I can ask for now.

Stubborn as a Bull

Vera

I sat beside Hart on the couch, legs tucked beneath me, a wine glass in hand, and a too-big smile on my face as he regaled me with some of the shenanigans he and his brothers had gotten into. So far, our night in was…satisfying.

Hart surprised me by having a sumptuous steak dinner delivered to the suite. It wasn’t as great as the meal we had at Andre’s, but it was a close second. The molten chocolate lava cake was so rich, warm, and decadent that I’d return to Toronto just for another bite.

We settled on the couch in front of the fire and have been trading war stories ever since. The view from the CN Tower and the knowledge from the Royal Ontario Museum couldn’t compare to spending quiet downtime with Hart. I had him all to myself and couldn’t think of a better way to spend the evening.

The shadows from the crackling fire bathed Hart’s chiseled features in the dim lighting, and each wide grin he tossed my way left me swooning and grateful we were seated.

“And then I flew off that son of a bitch and hit the ground so hard that I thought the impact knocked my lung loose. Pops was laughing his ass off, and Ms. Kelly ran from the house fussin’ at him for not checking on me. She was all talk because she turned her wrath on me when she realized I hadn’t broken anything. She reminded me I had to be careful because I couldn’t let my team down.”

I took a swig of my wine.

“I’m with Ms. Kelly. What would possess you to attempt to race dirt bikes the night before a championship game?”

He shrugged.

“I was just being a dumbass kid, but I have a feeling you’re the pot calling the kettle black.”

I smirked, swirled the burgundy liquid around in my glass, and asked, “What makes you so sure?”

“Twice, I’ve been in the passenger seat with you, and this morning will be the last time I’ll ever do that shit.”

“You said that last night,” I reminded him.

“I mean it this time, and no amount of sweet-talking and promises of surprises will change my mind.”

I chuckled and teasingly said, “But we made it to the airport in record time.”

Hart blew a raspberry before polishing off his wine.

“Bullshit. Getting in the car with you is like being a character in a Final Destination film.”

“I can’t stand your ass,” I responded, shaking my head as I poorly attempted to hide a laugh.

“The claw marks you left behind on my ass say otherwise.”

Briefly, I examined my almond-shaped French-tipped nails, making a note to buff them to avoid slicing and dicing him during sex.

“My bad,” I apologized.

“I’ll forgive you if you confirm my suspicion.”