Page 2 of Tangled Up With You

I twisted back around, facing forward before I drew either of their attention. I was in a piss-poor mood as it was, I didn’t need to deal with Vance’s bullshit or Dusty’s judgmental looks.

“Oh myGod,” a breathy, feminine voice said close to my ear, pulling my attention from the last two people I wanted to deal with. “Are you Connor Bennett?”

I groaned internally, doing my best to keep the annoyance I felt off my face as I slowly swiveled my head in the direction of the woman who had squeezed herself between my barstool and the empty one beside it. It shouldn’t have been so hard for me to curl my lips into some semblance of a grin, especially given the fact that the woman was a serious looker, but I really wasn’t in the mood.

I sent a silent curse of disgust to my dick. The fucking thing was as limp as an overcooked noodle. This time last year, I wouldn’t have hesitated to play up the charm, laying it on as thick as necessary in order to get this woman into my bed for a night.It wouldn’t have taken too much, I thought as I took in her smile. I could tell from the gleam in her eye and the way her red-painted lips curved up in the corners, that was why she’d approached me in the first place. She liked the way I looked, heard of my reputation, and was eager for a ride all her own.

But this wasn’t a year ago. Now... well, now there wasn’t so much as a stirring, not even a little tickle down below the belt.Goddamn it.

“That I am, darlin’,” I answered, easily slipping into the role I always played while I traveled on the circuit. “I take it you’re a fan?”

Her tongue peeked out and dragged across her bottom lip as her lids lowered sensuously. I held my breath and waited for any signs of life from my dick. Still nothing. “Oh yeah. I’m a bigfan,” she simpered, reaching out to drag the pointed tip of her long nail down my arm. “You know, I came here tonight hoping to run into you.”

I was sure she’d come hoping to run intoanybull rider, not me specifically. I knew her type. Woman was a buckle bunny through and through, not that I judged. I’d sampled my fair share over the years. But odds were, if there had been another guy in this bar who’d placed better than I did, got himself the bigger buckle, she’d have sidled up to him, not me.

“Saw you ride tonight. It really was somethin’. You just look so... masculine up there on those bulls.” She leaned in closer to try and draw attention to her cleavage. “Sohot.”

Fucking hell, I thought.I should have just gone straight to my room and gotten drunk there.

“So, I was thinkin’. Maybe we could get out of here. Go somewhere a little more... private.” The woman’s fingertips danced their way up my arm to my shoulder before she flattened her hand and rubbed it over my chest. I had to hand it to her, she had confidence, that was for goddamn sure. Usually it would have made me rock hard, but I couldn’t help but compare her to the woman who was driving me insane. The bane of my existence. “If you know what I mean.”

I knew exactly what she meant. Hell, she was being about as subtle as a bull moose during mating season.

But it didn’t matter. It was never going to happen. Her blonde hair didn’t have the shade of red in it like Ivy’s. Her plain blue eyes didn’t shine like sapphires the way Ivy’s did. Her complexion was too tanned, unlike Ivy’s fair, creamy skin I had spent hours running my tongue and lips over until every single inch seared into my brain. Even her smell threw me off, the overly powdery fragrance making the inside of my nose itch like I was fighting off a sneeze. Nothing like Ivy’s fresh, sunny lemon and basil scent.

“Appreciate the offer, darlin’, but I’m gonna have to pass.”

She straightened up, the seductive look melting off of her made-up face. “Your loss, cowboy,” she issued before pushing away from the bar and moving on to the next guy.

I was sure she was right.

I tossed back the rest of my whiskey and sent a glare down at my dick. This was all his fault.

“Well, well, well. Look who it is,” a voice said from behind me.

Goddamn it.

Just like that, my night got even fucking worse.

Chapter Two

Connor

“You looked so lonely over here all by yourself. Figured I’d keep you company.”

I turned my head slowly, my expression void of any emotion. “Don’t feel you need to do me any favors,” I deadpanned.

His grin was smug as hell, showcasing unnaturally-perfect white capped teeth. It was taking everything I had not to knock those teeth down his throat.

He hefted himself onto the stool beside me, the stench of the cheap cologne he’d obviously bathed in giving me an immediate headache. The guy was fucking good on a bull, as much as I hated to admit that. Most of the time we were neck and neck. That was the reason Dusty had taken him on, after all. He wouldn’t back a nobody. But on top of being an asshole, he also didn’t know how to spend the money he’d been coming into lately if the eye-watering stink coming off him and the tacky veneers were anything to go on.

“Seems like a runnin’ theme for you lately, huh?” His grin grew even wider. “Or maybe you just keep strikin’ out.”

Christ, I really hated this guy.

I waved to get the bartender’s attention, pointing at my empty glass when I caught his eye. The smart thing to do was leave, but I didn’t want to give this prick the satisfaction of thinking he’d run me out. For some reason, he’d created this competition between us, and it extended beyond those eight seconds in the arena.

Dusty wasn’t the only person in my life to throw me over for this piece of shit.