Glancing at Pudge, I question, "Are you ready? He said they're over at the stables."
Pudge pumps her fist while deepening her voice as if she was a man. "Let's do this shit!"
I wonder about her sometimes, but I do love her to death. Our hands grip the door handles, our eyes are locked, and we take a few deep breaths. I give her a nod; it’s game time.
As if we were a couple football players, we fly out of the car and fling the doors closed. I can’t help except laugh at the way we look. Pudge joins in the laughter before linking my arm with hers. Together, we jog toward the stables.
The horses are located on the opposite side of the fairgrounds, making it about half a mile walk. When we finally get close, we pass pigs, sheep, chickens, and other random animals. The smell isn’t pleasant, but we keep going until we reach the stables where the horses are located. Inside, men are tending to the bulls, running around feeding and cleaning the pens. We continue moving, the horrid smell grows stronger, but when we see Cody and Jake, and everything around us evaporates. "Do you see them, Sonya? Oh my God, they're sexy," Pudge whispers, sighing dramatically.
I bite my lip out of habit while ogling my bull rider. My? I laugh myself. "Yes, yes, I do.” I nod. “So sexy!" I murmur. He’s even sexier than I remember.
We continue to stand here for a few minutes, taking in the sexiness of Cody and Jake. Both are in cowboy boots, tight Wranglers that showcase nice tight asses, and are wearing a baseball cap backward. Jake has on a white beater, making his tan skin look darker and his muscles bigger. Cody’s wearing a t-shirt with the sleeves cut off with s big, muscular arms on display. I definitely didn't get to see those guns last night. Don't get me wrong, Jake is a good-looking guy, but he doesn't have shit on Cody, that's for sure.
I swallow hard in an attempt to wet my dry mouth. I blurt, "What are you guys doing?" Both turn at the sound of my voice. Jake walks over to Pudge and puts his arm around her.
Cody’s perfectly straight white teeth shine with his beaming smile. "Why you still standin' there? Come here." I strut over to him, and when I’m close enough, his arm wraps around my shoulders. He lightly presses his lips against my temple and whispers, "Hey, beautiful."
I snake my arms around his waist and reply, “Hey." My own grin is going from ear to ear. Lifting my eyes, I’m met with those crystal-clear blues. My gaze travels over his features up to the brownish-blonde hair peeking out from the cap, also something I didn't get to see last night. "What are you doing?" I question, pointing to the rope he’s holding. Glancing over my shoulder, I notice Jake has already taken Pudge away.
Cody’s arm drops from my shoulders as my attention drifts back to him. "I was fixin’ to get my handle and rope ready for tonight."
My brows knit in confusion. "You have to get it ready? How do you do that?" I’m curious, and my interest is peaked. I don’t know anything about bull riding, but I like hearing him speak with his southern accent. Even his voice is sexy; therefore, I’m all about learning, and really, it's a rope, who would have thought it would need prepping?
His brow arches in disbelief. "You really wanna know?"
Throwing my hand on my hips, I cock my brow in a challenge. "I asked, didn't I?"
Cody mutters under his breath, “Such a sassy lil' thing."
I playfully slap his arm. “You like my sassiness.” I attempt to flirt.
He chuckles, the sound deep and rumbling. "You’re right, but that’s not the only thing I like.” His gaze searches mine. Our smiles fall as our eyes lock. The air around us thickens and sizzles with electricity, and I swallow hard once again. Cody clears his throat and backs away from me. “Here, I'll show you."
My eyelids flutter as I forgot what he was supposed to show me. He picks up the rope and a brush that looks like something you would use to clean a BBQ grill. Oh, right, prepping his rope.
Attempting to compose myself, I intently listen to his every word. "Alright. First, you have to take this brush and use it to get all the dirt and grime off the rope and handle. It needs to be clean before you apply the rosin." I watch as he cleans the rope and handle, rubbing the bristles against it like he explained and making his biceps flex in the process.
After a few minutes, Cody sets the brush down on a shelf then picks up a bar of soap. "Now that the rope is clean, you take this soap and run it over all the parts that you cleaned." He glances at me with a half-grin, probably to see if I’m actually paying attention. Surprisingly, I am. "You see these two pieces of tape, here?" I nod my head, seeing the two white pieces of tape. "You want to stay within the lines of the tape. There's no need for you to do the whole thing."
"Can I do it?" My tone lowers, a shyness I didn’t even know existed within me coming through. How can I be shy when I’m always around a bunch of bikers?
"Yeah, come stand in front of me." I do as he tells me. His fingertips glide down my arm from my shoulder until our fingers are laced together. With one hand on top of mine, his other hand places the soap in my palm, and I grip it with our intertwined fingers. Cody guides my hand with his, over and under the rope and handle until it’s slick. His hot breath is hitting the side of my neck, his lips brushing across my bare flesh. Goosebumps pebble over my skin while a shiver races up my spine. His front is pressing against my backside, and I can feel the bulge in his tight jeans grow.
“Cody?” I mumble his name. I’m frozen in place, not knowing what to do.
“Fuck!” He drops the rope and handle as he backs away from me and lays the soap on the shelf where the brush is. His knuckles are turning white from how tightly he is squeezing his fists. “I’m sorry.”
I step closer. “Don’t apologize.” I place my hand on his back. “Will you keep teaching me?” I question with hope lacing my tone. I don’t want to end this…whatever this is.
He snatches a thick glove and a chunk of something black off the shelf. He spins to face me. “I don’t want you thinkin’ I’m some kind of pervy creep. Especially after last night.”
I grin, biting down on my lip. “I don’t think you’re a pervy creep. It happens.”
He shakes his head. “You’re doin’ somethin’ to me.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
He steps toward me. “I’m thinkin’, you could get me in a lot of trouble.”
My breaths quicken. “I’m not sure if I’m the one that’s trouble.”
“Then we both might be in a whole lotta trouble.”
My body ignites with a burning desire. His gaze is filled with a need so intense, it takes every ounce of strength I have to remain in control of myself.
“Jesus! Uh…this is the rosin.” He slaps a ball of black stuff along with the glove into my hand. Our connection is broken as he steps away from me. “You take it and run it over everywhere you used soap.” Still feeling something deep within me, I try to do exactly as he instructs. "You see how it's stickin'?" he asks
"Yeah."
He takes the rosin and glove from me to finish the job. "Good. The rosin will help you keep a tight hold when you're ridin' the bull." Once Cody is done, he sets the glove and left-over rosin on the shelf with everything else.