Thrown: Studs in Spurs, Book 6 (6 page)

The sound of movement in the other bed caught Skeeter’s attention. The noise of what could only be Aaron’s jeans and belt hitting the floor. The rustle of the covers being pulled down and bodies slipping beneath them. The low, indecipherable murmur of voices.

Tammy pulled back from Skeeter’s lips. He couldn’t blame her. The reminder they weren’t alone probably made her uncomfortable. Not to mention he’d been so busy hearing the others in the room, she could have sensed his distraction. He understood. They could stop and go somewhere else if she wanted. Sit out in the hall. Maybe wander down to the lobby, or go hit up the snack machine. He was about to whisper that to her when she leaned low over his lap.

All words were gone from his brain as she slid his length between her lips. The heat of her mouth surrounded him and he let out a ragged breath. It had been a long while since Skeeter had experienced this particular pleasure. He wasn’t going to last long if she kept it up. Not after she really got into it, stroking him with her hand while her mouth worked up and down him.

He bit his lip and tried to keep quiet but he couldn’t control himself as his breathing sped. Couldn’t stop his hips from rocking with the rhythm she set either.

Dammit. Skeeter did not want this to be happening here and now and he really didn’t want to come just feet from Aaron and his girl. But there was no stopping it. He bore down on every muscle in his body to not make any noise. His eyes and lips squeezed as tight as they could be, Skeeter grabbed Tammy’s head with both hands and held fast. His release shot deep into her throat.

He was still in her mouth, throbbing with aftershocks, when he heard it—the rhythmic banging of Aaron’s bed against the wall.

Crap. In the past, Skeeter had always managed to be elsewhere if Aaron brought a girl back and needed to be alone with her. This time he’d not only stayed, he’d let a girl he’d just met give him a blowjob while both of their friends were in the room having sex.

A couple of years ago, Skeeter would never have allowed that to happen. Now, he hadn’t even fought it very hard. Tammy was washing away the evidence of that. Skeeter heard her swallowing from the glass she’d set on the nightstand before all this happened.

Life on the road had changed him and he feared it wasn’t a change for the better. It was good he’d be off the circuit for a while. It might be what he needed. Time in the real world, home with his mother, going to church, doing chores, grounding himself.

Good chance that’s part of what was off with his riding too. Maybe he needed to get back to basics and centered in his life as well as in his riding. He’d have to think on that more later. Right now, Skeeter had one girl to deal with and a roommate and another girl, who were getting louder by the moment, to ignore.

Before he knew it, Tammy was back, pressed against him, the smell of bourbon and coke on her breath—which given what they’d just done was far preferable to the alternative.

“Hey.” She ran a finger down his chest.

“Hey.” Skeeter had a feeling she wasn’t nearly finished with him yet.

A particularly loud moan came from Robin in Aaron’s bed, adding to the other sounds and making it more than obvious what was happening over there.

Tammy giggled while Skeeter cringed. “Sorry there’s not more privacy.”

“No problem.” She paused before saying, “You know, we can do what they’re doing.”

“Um…” Crap. How did he respond to that?

“What’s wrong? You don’t have any condoms?”

“Nope. No condoms.” He lied but took solace that at least he felt guilty for it. It wasn’t a complete lie. Skeeter didn’t have any. The condoms belonged to Aaron.

What Aaron was doing with Robin was definitely not happening here and now between Skeeter and Tammy. But just because he hadn’t had a qualified ride with a girl yet, didn’t mean he was lacking in skills. Just because a guy was a virgin—Lord, how he hated that word—didn’t mean he was totally uneducated or inexperienced when it came to women.

Before Tammy had a chance to come up with more questions or any solutions to their supposed lack of protection, Skeeter pressed his lips to hers. Gentle at first, until she ran her fingers through his hair. The feel of her tugging at his scalp, pulling him closer, did it for him. He worked her mouth harder, slipping his tongue inside. She let out a soft sound that swelled his pride.

Yeah, he had skills. He’d show her how many.

He rolled partially off her so he could reach between them to open the button of her jeans, followed by the zipper. He slipped one hand beneath her panties. Her stomach rose and fell beneath his palm as she breathed and he slid lower. He reached where he’d been aiming and set to work, intent on pleasing this girl so well that by the time he was done she’d forget all about wanting to have sex.

Chapter Three

The last of the bulls had been loaded into the trailer. Time to hit the road, but Riley was starving. She should have remembered to eat at the arena. Now all the concession stands were closed.

Her father hated when she made him stop on the road. He prescribed to the straight-line theory. Get on the highway and head directly for home. Pit stops only if and when necessary. She had to eat. If she didn’t ask him to take her to grab something in town before hitting the highway, he’d be mad when she asked him to stop at the first truck stop they came to. She was lucky if he’d stop a few hours in so they could both use the restrooms. If she’d been a guy, she had no doubt he’d make her pee in a jar or something and not stop at all.

Ick. Sometimes she was more than grateful to be a female, though at times it made it hard in a male-dominated business such as stock contracting.

Her stomach let out a long, loud grumble of protest. She was so hungry she was beginning to get queasy. That settled it. She’d just have to suck it up and ask him to stop before they got on the road.

“Dad. I know you want to get going, but could we stop at the diner in town quick? I’ll grab whatever is fastest to go, but I have to eat something.” She braced for the lecture. How she should have eaten earlier. How they wouldn’t reach home before morning, even if they didn’t stop.

But the lecture didn’t come. Instead, he nodded. “All right.” He rubbed a spot in the middle of his chest. “Remind me to pick up some of those antacids they always sell next to the cash register. I must have eaten something that didn’t agree with me.”

“Okay.” Riley hid her surprise, just happy she’d get to eat and she hadn’t had to listen to him complain about it. “Maybe you should get a muffin or something else bland. It might help settle your stomach.”

He swallowed hard. “Maybe. We’ll see.” Her father tipped his head toward the trailer. “Come on. Let’s get going.”

“A’ight.” Darkness surrounded them as Riley climbed into the cab of the truck.

It was getting late. Time to head for home. They’d done this trip enough times since she’d become old enough to work with her father that she had the routine down. She knew they’d hit much less traffic by traveling at night. Her father would put the truck on cruise control and relax without worrying about too many other vehicles. Riley’s job was to keep him company and make sure he stayed alert at the wheel.

The diesel engine fired up, and with her father behind the wheel and Riley in the passenger seat, they pulled to the exit of the parking lot. He flipped the directional signal on. Riley noticed he was about to turn left, toward the entrance to the interstate. “Dad. The diner?”

“Huh?” He turned to frown at her. “Oh, right.”

He flipped the blinker and after checking both ways, pulled out and turned right toward town where there was a diner open twenty-four hours a day with a parking lot big enough to accommodate their trailer.

It seemed odd to her he’d forgotten their conversation about stopping. Her father was never this distracted. She glanced at him again and realized he didn’t seem right. Maybe he was tired. Or perhaps his stomach was bothering him more than he wanted to admit. She’d keep an eye on him, and if need be, force him to go to the doctor when they got home. When they stopped, she could change places with him and drive the first leg of the trip. She knew he liked to be the one in the driver’s seat, but it looked as if he could use a nap.

Maybe he’d give in just this once. “Dad. If you want, I can drive for a little bit. We can switch off later.”

“Yeah. That’s a good idea.” He’d agreed much too fast.

Riley’s brows rose but she didn’t comment. Something was definitely up. She continued to watch her father a little more closely than usual as he swung the truck into the lot of the diner, put it in park and sat without cutting the engine.

“You want me to go inside and get us both something while you wait here?”

“Yeah, you go on. Nothing to eat for me, but don’t forget those antacids.”

“A’ight.” After one more glance at him, Riley swung the passenger door wide and climbed down.

Even in the middle of the night, the lot was full. The diner must be the only place in town open. She pushed through the door and saw inside was as full as the parking lot. Spotting the overflowing table of bull riders packed shoulder to shoulder, she knew why. It looked as if she wasn’t the only one hungry after tonight’s event. A person could only eat so much arena food before it got to you.

That thought reminded her of how badly she needed food. Riley stepped up to the cash register and grabbed a roll of antacids for her father. A woman in a T-shirt displaying the diner’s name and logo came over. “Just those?”

“No, actually. Can I get something quick to take out?”

“Sure. What d’ya want?”

“Do you have something hot that’s already ready to go? Like chili or soup?” Riley needed something hot and filling in her stomach if she was going to make it all the way home. But that would also make her sleepy, so she added, “And the largest coffee you’ve got too, please.”

She might have to stop to pee sooner because of it, but she’d need the caffeine to keep her awake behind the wheel so her father could doze.

“We got both chili and soup hot in the back. Chicken noodle is the soup. And the chili was made fresh today.”

“I’ll take a chili to go, please.”

The woman turned and yelled the chili order toward the kitchen and then rang up the total. Riley paid and waited while the waitress poured coffee into a paper takeout cup.

“Cream and sugar?” she asked.

“Both please. Lots of it.” She wasn’t a diehard coffee drinker like some, but in a pinch she could make do by camouflaging the flavor. There wasn’t a fancy coffee house around here to get a gourmet flavored blend, but enough good old cream and sugar would do it.

“Hey, darlin’. You heading home or staying for the night?”

The familiar voice had Riley turning. “Mustang. Hey. We’re heading home tonight. It’s easier to just get the bulls home rather than keep them in temporary housing for another night.”

His nod dipped his cowboy hat forward a bit just as the waitress delivered a paper bag. “Here’s your chili. Spoon, napkins and crackers are in there.”

“Thank you.” As the waitress moved on to other duties, Riley turned back to see Mustang grinning.

“You order the chili here, you’re gonna need those antacids.” He tipped his chin toward the roll on the counter.

“Those are for Dad. The chili’s for me, but yeah, they might come in handy a few hours down the road.” She laughed. Maybe the chili hadn’t been a wise choice after all.

“Well, y’all have a safe trip home.”

“You too, Mustang. And tell all the rest of the guys I said get home safe too.”

“Will do.” He grinned his patented Mustang grin that had won him lots of women’s hearts, or at least some other body parts, over the years.

That was, of course, before he became a one-woman man. His traveling buddy Slade too. It seemed like all the veterans were pairing off, one by one. A few of the younger guys too, like Chase and Garret. But there were still some, the former rookies who’d joined the tour about the same time Riley started to travel with her dad, who were still single and available.

Her thoughts turned to Skeeter and how he wouldn’t be on the tour when they came back from this mid-season break. He wasn’t here with the rest of the guys. The thought that he’d rather go back to his room than come out to be with his friends broke her heart. She’d definitely take a look at that touring pro event list and see what venues they were scheduled for when she got home.

Home—which was hours away. Time to hit the highway. With one final glance at the table of riders still going strong, Riley pushed through the exit door. The guys were all fueled with adrenaline, food and no doubt a few of their sponsor’s energy drinks. They could sit and talk for hours about tonight’s rides. But for her and her father, it was going to be a long, boring night.

Chapter Four

The door of their room had just closed behind their two female guests when Aaron turned to Skeeter, wide eyed. “Dude, did you do it?”

“No, I didn’t do it.” In what might be the most embarrassing night of his life, Skeeter didn’t even want to think about how he’d listened to Aaron having sex while he got Tammy off under cover of darkness in his own bed. Not to mention talk about it all afterward.

“Damn. From what I was hearing I thought—”