Twins for the Bull Rider Read online

  “No,” she choked, spinning back to her task. Tingles of awareness spread through her body, raising the tiny hairs on her arms.

  She clamped down harder on the machine. No way was she going to play into this guy’s hands. Well built, smug smile, knowing eyes... She knew the type.

  Men. The second you had a menial task of no consequence, they abounded. But the minute you got yourself truly in a pickle, they were nowhere to be found. She squeezed her eyes shut as her irresponsible cousin sprang to mind.

  Right. She could do this herself. She could do all of it. Obviously, Crystal had believed in her. It was time she began believing in herself. And the first order of business was to master this dang candy machine and get her quarter back.

  As it was, she needed every penny she had.

  * * *

  DOMINIC SLADE DRAGGED his eyes away from the shapely bottom wiggling in front of him and knuckled his Stetson higher on his brow. A quick glance to his right reminded him the majority of male eyes in the room were also getting a good look. Only truckers and vagrants peppered the diner this time of night. He took a couple of steps forward, shifting his stance to shield the blonde from their gaze.

  Not that he blamed them. He appreciated the curves of a woman as much as any other man, but he’d never ogle them in front of her kids. That was low.

  Dominic sighed as his body demanded otherwise. He’d been on the road too long. He should’ve given in two states back and taken what the pretty redhead at the bar had offered. He should’ve accepted when she’d pressed a cold bottle of beer into his hand and her breasts against his biceps.

  But he couldn’t. Not after what the last morning-after had brought. Emptiness and regret. Self-recriminations and discontent. Part of what drove him back home was that feeling of reaching for something and never quite getting a grip on it. That and the thousandth guilt trip his brother had laid on him through the phone last week.

  Brow creasing, he studied the woman as she struggled with the candy machine. Her attacks were relentless, the toned muscles in her pale arms and legs straining.

  “Ma’am,” he proffered, “why don’t you let me give it a try?”

  “No, I have it,” she huffed. Her elbows jerked toward his gut, forcing him to take a step back.

  Aw, hell. Nothing worse than a stubborn woman.

  He turned to find the boys scrutinizing him. Their blond heads tilted to the side and wide blue eyes drifted down the length of him with slow precision. One of the carbon copies pursed his mouth as he seemed to come to a decision.

  “Aunt Cissy.” The boy’s attention remained planted on him. “Let him. You’re gonna break it.”

  Her grunt preceded, “No, I’m not, Kayden.”

  “Yes, you are,” he reaffirmed.

  The other copy cocked his head and nodded up at Dominic. “She is, you know.”

  Dominic shrugged. He should just walk away. Walking away would be nothing out of the norm for him. It would be expected, even.

  Hell, the only reason he’d stopped in this hole in the wall to begin with was because they had the best burgers in a ten-state radius. Add to that, it was the last place he could catch his breath before the heavy press of home stifled it.

  Besides, the quills on this gal’s back could rival a porcupine. A man couldn’t be blamed for self-preservation.

  A high-pitched squeak cut through the air as the rubber sole of her scuffed shoe slipped off the pole. She regained her footing and bent deeper on a more ruthless attack. The hem of her denim shorts rose higher, exposing a greater expanse of smooth, creamy skin.

  Dominic cast another look over his shoulder at the leering onlookers and gripped the back of his neck. The boys hovered off to the side, their faces clouded with doubt.

  Hadn’t he chosen to make this quick trip home with the intention of leaving on better terms? Maybe this was his first test. An opportunity to try being more responsible before his brother got a chance to cut into him.

  Dominic stretched around her and touched the back of her hand with his palm. “Ma’am, you’re not really getting anywhere—”

  “I appreciate your offer but I’m doing just fine, thank you.” She puffed a short strand of golden hair out of her face and glared up at him.

  Damn. Those cornflower-blue eyes could bring a man to his knees. Or rip a gaping wound in his chest, which seemed to be her preference at the moment. He sprang to action as the candy machine took a sharp swing toward the boys.

  “Now, look,” he gritted, wrapping both arms around her trim waist to straighten the glass bowl, “this thing’s about on its last leg—”

  “I’m aware of that. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be in this predicament.” She shoved her hip into his gut as the machine tottered on its stand.

  “Y’all need some help?” A voice prompted from behind.

  “No.”

  “Yes.” Her shout outweighed his.

  Dominic threw an apologetic look over his shoulder to find Sheila, a waitress he’d gotten to know too well on his last visit home, watching with trepidation.

  “Well, Dom,” Sheila squealed. She slapped her notepad against her apron, her gaze dropping south. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

  Her stare penetrated the denim stretched over his backside. Yep. That night was high up on his list of regrets.

  “Good to see you, Sheila,” Dominic said, politeness spurring the lie.

  He winced as an elbow thrust into his ribs, and turned to growl, “Let go and let me help you.”

  “You let go.”

  The words had barely escaped her mouth when he heard a sharp snap. She crashed back into his chest, toppling them both to the floor. Dominic had a split second of warning to roll her body under his before the candy-filled globe crashed at their side scattering glass and jawbreakers around them.

  Yelps from the boys punctuated the sudden silence of the diner.

  “Oh, Aunt Cissy, you broke it.” One boy clapped his hands to his cheeks.

  “I told you she was gonna break it.” The other smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “You all right?” Dominic rasped, flexing his hand against the back of her head.

  Her soft hair brushed his palm as she nodded. The tight press of her breasts against his chest sent a wave of heat through him. Clearing his throat, he surveyed her flushed face. Her blue eyes widened and her lush lips trembled.

  Dominic bit back a grin. She sure packed a wallop for such a tiny thing. Almost more than a few bulls he’d sat on recently. Except she was a helluva lot prettier. And a damned deal softer.

  A subsequent crack issued from the remaining half of the machine. A metal piece banged to the floor and a rush of quarters poured out.

  “She really broke it,” the smug twin muttered with a disapproving shake of his head.

  Dominic shifted his weight and rose to a kneeling position. The crack and crush of glass and candy erupted under each of his movements. Brushing debris off his boots, he proceeded to throw out a hand as the more outspoken twin moved toward them.

  “Stay back,” Dominic directed. “There’s too much glass.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Sheila clamped a hand to her ample chest. “That thing should’ve been replaced a long time ago.”

  Dominic opened his mouth to speak but the curvy bundle beneath him beat him to it.

  “No, it was my fault.” Issuing a soft apology, she pushed up on her elbows and made to rise.

  “Wait.” Dominic eyed the smooth skin of her thighs and calves. “You’re gonna cut yourself.”

  Against his better judgment, he wrapped his arms around her again, obtained a firm foundation with his feet and lifted her up against his chest. He followed the shaky point of her finger to a nearby booth.

  “Th-thanks,” she stammered, brushing his hands away when they lingered a moment too long.

  Nodding, he took refuge in assisting Sheila to sweep up the piles of broken glass and crushed candy.

  Well, da
mn. Twenty minutes from home, he’d been intent upon tossing a hot meal in his stomach, recovering from his last tour on the circuit and bolstering the courage to dig his feet into the dirt of his family’s ranch again.

  Instead, here he was, cleaning up a woman’s mess. Something he’d been very careful to avoid over the years. So much for doing the right thing.

  The back of his neck prickled, alerting him to the fact that the boys still observed him with interest. The soft hush of whispers and the shuffling of small feet around him solidified his suspicions.

  “Hey, mister.”

  Dominic stilled his rough sweeping to look down. The more outspoken boy, who he recalled was named Kayden, barely reached his waist but jutted his chin out and eyed him with uncertainty.

  “You a real cowboy?” he posed with all the seriousness of a sheriff.

  A smile quirked Dominic’s lips. “I’ve been accused of it before.”

  “He looks like one,” Kayden’s replica informed him in a stage whisper. “He’s got a hat and boots.”

  Kayden pondered this for a moment, roving his gaze over Dominic once more. Locking eyes with him, he countered, “Yeah, but you got a horse?”

  “Several,” Dominic returned.

  “A rope?” Kayden shot back.

  “Yep.”

  “A gun?”

  “Not on me.” Dominic firmed his features. “They’re dangerous, little man.”

  “He ain’t got no dirt on his butt, Kayden,” the other twin exclaimed at his rear. “Real cowboys have dirty butts.”

  “Boys,” their aunt shouted from the booth. “Stop that and get over here.”

  “Aw, come on, Aunt Cissy. We ain’t never seen one up close before.” Kayden rolled his lips and squinted at her.

  “Well, you’ve seen one now, kiddos,” Sheila interjected, dumping the last of the glass in the trash. “Dom here’s not only a real cowboy but he’s the top bull rider in the world. He’s won the PBR championship four years in a row now.” She ran her tongue over her bottom lip and smiled. “First ever to do it. Saw you on TV, Dom. You looked great.”

  Dominic issued a halfhearted smile. A scoff emerged from the direction of the booth. Turning, he watched the blonde blush and tilt her chin higher.

  “That where you got this?” Kayden popped a fist into his belt buckle, coming dangerously close to sensitive parts of his anatomy.

  Dominic recoiled. “Whoa, there.”

  “That’s it.” Their aunt’s blue eyes spat sparks. “Get over here now.” She jabbed a finger toward the floor and pinned the boys with a stern look. They reluctantly complied, dragging their feet over to hop up beside her in the booth.

  “I’m really sorry about this.” Sheila divested him of the broom and passed her eyes over each of them. “Meal’s on the house. Dom, what can I get you?”

  He opened his mouth to respond when Kayden piped, “We got a triple cheeseburger. That’s what you should get.”

  He laughed at the boy’s authoritative tone. It’d been a long time since he’d been around a kid. He forgot how lively they could make a mundane event.

  “Sounds good,” Dominic said. “I’ll have it with fries.” He ambled toward a bar stool but drew up short when Kayden waved a small hand in his direction.

  “Hey, come sit with us. There’s room,” Kayden urged with an eager expression.

  He hated to disappoint the boy but was willing to. Dominic was about to decline, but found the words sticking in his throat when their aunt shushed the boy then shot a look of disapproval his way.

  Dominic grunted. Fine thanks for trying to help someone out. “You know what?” He threw a smile in the boys’ direction. “Don’t mind if I do.”

  He maneuvered his big frame into the other side of the booth, sucking in his abs and wobbling the table forward a few inches to make more room. Removing his hat, he placed it on the edge of the table and dragged a hand through his hair.

  The look of irritation flitting across her delicate features widened his smile. Now, this was something new. It’d been a long time since he had to work to get the attention of a woman.

  “Here you go.” Sheila plopped two plates of food and a tray of sugar packets in front of the trio. “And, Dom,” she purred, setting a meal in front of him. Hesitating, she cast a glance at the boys’ aunt. “You sure I can’t get you anything more? It’s gratis. Soup? Pie?”

  “No, thank you.” She refused to look up and helped the boys arrange napkins in their laps.

  No surprise there. She was probably one of those women that lived off salad and diet soda. Dominic dug into his food with almost as much gusto as the boys. It’d been several days since he’d stopped long enough to sit somewhere and let his stomach settle.

  “Cissy, huh?” he mumbled out around a bite of burger before dragging a napkin across his mouth.

  He noticed her eyes followed the movement and lingered on his lower lip. She wasn’t completely unaffected by him. Dominic dropped his gaze to the table to hide his satisfaction.

  “Cissy,” she affirmed. “Cissy Henley.”

  “I’m Kayden,” the boy garbled out around his own mouthful of food.

  “And this is Jayden,” Cissy commented, nodding in the other boy’s direction.

  He swallowed before taking another huge bite and offering up his own introduction. “Dominic Slade.”

  “Cowboy.” A bit of food flew out of Jayden’s mouth at the declaration and Cissy quickly admonished them both not to talk with their mouths full.

  Abashed, Dominic pressed his lips together and chewed, making sure his mouth was empty before asking, “Y’all from around here?”

  “No” was her only response before taking a gulp of coffee.

  Though Cissy seemed intent upon drinking, her long lashes lifted and she returned her attention to his mouth.

  Dominic’s blood rushed as her eyes darkened. He shifted in the small confines of the booth, uncomfortably aware of the tightness of his jeans. He damned sure had been on the road too long.

  Cissy lowered the cup and continued to stare. Surely she wasn’t trying to come on to him in front of the kids. Not that it’d be the first time. Lately, nothing women did surprised him.

  Thankful for the silence that ensued, Dominic continued working on his meal. He was impressed by the boys’ appetites. They managed to polish off each half of their burger, every onion ring and almost an entire sundae. Only a few drops of melted ice cream remained.

  Jayden flopped back with a sigh. “I’m full.”

  “Me, too,” Kayden added. Their eyes were heavy and they looked as though they could nod off at any moment.

  “I should hope so,” Dominic commented with a chuckle, the last third of his burger hovering above his plate between his fingertips. “Don’t know where you two possibly put it all.”

  That drew a sleepy but broad smile from them both.

  “We’re bottomless pits,” Jayden piped with pride, tapping his chest with his fist.

  Cissy laughed and ruffled her fingers through their blond hair. The boys closed their eyes and leaned into her, soaking it up and drifting off. Dominic couldn’t help but admire her expression. Her whole face lit up, her eyes bright.

  As though sensing his scrutiny, she faced him again and nibbled on the rosy curve of her bottom lip. His stomach flipped over at her shy look. She had freckles. They were scattered over the bridge of her pert nose and the apples of her cheeks. He had the strange urge to touch his tongue to them to see if they tasted as sweet as they looked.

  “Dominic?” she asked, leaning forward. Her tongue curled around his name. She carefully moved her arms from the sleeping boys and slid them across the table. Her breasts pressed against the edge.

  Dominic peeled his eyes from the scoop of her white tank top and cursed himself for wishing the neckline was a good bit lower. “Yeah?” he choked.

  “Are you finished?” A flush of pink heat encompassed her cheeks, obscuring the freckles.

  He still
ed. This was it. Proposition time. He had to give her points, though. She’d put it off a lot longer than most women. And despite his cynicism, he surprised himself by being eager to play.

  “Are you finished?” she repeated with a raised brow. Those beautiful blues of hers moved from his mouth to his hand.

  “Yeah,” he mumbled.

  She drew closer, stretching across the distance between them, and lifted her hand. His body tightened and his eyelids lowered to half-mast as he anticipated her touch on his skin.

  “Great,” she chimed.

  Empty air drifted between his fingers. Dominic frowned. He’d been robbed.

  Cissy stuffed a good portion of what remained of his triple cheeseburger into her mouth and closed her eyes. Mustard trickled off the side of her chin and her pink tongue shot out to catch it with a low moan of pleasure.

  Well, double damn. This was definitely a first.

  A loud ring jarred from underneath the table. Cissy jumped, then scrambled around, producing a cell phone before quickly silencing it and shoving it back in her pocket.

  “Fwanks,” she mumbled around the wad of burger. “We gotta glo.”

  “But...”

  Dominic blinked, struggling to get a grip on the situation when she rose from her seat and jostled the boys awake. She tugged money from her pocket, counted out a few bills and dropped them onto the table. The remnants of hot desire pumped through his veins as she bustled the boys out of the booth.

  She stooped to grab a quarter from the pile still resting on the floor where the candy machine used to reside. Her eyes brushed over him, dismissing him and focusing on the exit just before she tugged the boys out the door.

  Dominic shifted at the uncomfortable churn in his gut. What the hell just happened?

  “You finished, Dom?”

  Sheila’s perky voice grated across his nerves as he strained to make out the trio in the darkness beyond the window. Cissy leaned into the backseat of a battered Toyota and strapped the boys in with one hand. The other still held the last bit of his burger.