“My turn.” The whiskey-smooth voice played havoc with her senses. She felt each word slide seductively down her spine.

Slowly her head rose. Her gaze darted over her shoulder. He stood slightly behind her.

Lacy attempted to force a sound from her mouth, but nothing came out. Her voice had turned to dust. Dry mouthed, she nearly choked and swallowed her tongue.

God, he’s gorgeous.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he chuckled, then boldly approached the bull.

Lacy felt her stomach pitch like a wild rollercoaster ride.

Where was her bravado?

Snatched away by the confident man strolling across the mat like he owned the whole damn place.

There was power in the leg that swung over the hulk of steel. When his hand clutched the bull-rope, she watched the tendons in his arms tighten, like the muscles that were now tensing low in her belly.

No way, nuh-uh! She wasn’t going to fall for a good-for-nothing cowboy, again.

Been there, done that.

Yet the attraction between them crackled and hissed in the air like an Arizona monsoon sweeping across the land.

Lacy wanted to deny it, push it aside. But the animal magnetism she had felt only once before in her life was raging. And like the first time, which had ended in total disaster, this would be no different.

No. Thank you, no. There wouldn’t be a this time, she promised herself as he raised his hand.

Aimlessly, she switched the bull to low and pondered her next move.

Okay, do I thrash him about and allow his friend to cart him off to the hospital?

That would take care of her immediate problem—this uncomfortable attraction going on inside her. She could take care of the fire burning low in her belly later.

Before closing time, she’d find the most unimposing man around, take him home and screw his eyes out. No attraction, no fuss, no commitment.

Yeah, right. Like I’d even go there.

“He don’t look as good as you did on that thang.” A deep southern twang came from behind her.

Lacy turned her gaze towards the laughing hazel eyes of the man who had stood beside the tall, dark cowboy. Where the other man was dark, his friend was light. Blond hair, six-two, his grin showing a mouthful of white teeth.

“I’m Chance, and if you don’t rack it up a notch or two, Wyatt isn’t going to be happy.”

She returned a weak smile. “So, Wyatt wants a ride?”

“Oh, yeah…he wants a ride.” The man’s words made her uneasy as she caught the hidden meaning behind them.

Without hesitation, Lacy twisted the dial up two notches. “Well, we don’t want Wyatt to be disappointed.”

One never knew what a wild animal would do, mechanical or not, especially with an aroused woman at the controls. The man before her was a professional, ready for the unexpected as his body moved fluently with the bull.

He was a large man. Hell, he had to be six-four, too large really to ride…a bull, anyway.

Lacy should’ve been able to unseat him instantly, but he held on. The only thing she succeeded in doing was driving her own desire into the danger zone. Her breasts felt heavy. Lightning zapped her nipples, sending aftershocks to her pussy, and she didn’t even want to think about that ache. Lacy was so wet she was afraid she’d slide off the chair.

Dial up another notch.

Still, the man seemed indifferent to the intensity of the ride or its sudden shifts in movement.

Lacy pulled the bull to a dead stop and then jerked it alive again. She saved this trick for the experienced riders she wanted to meet the mat. Surprisingly, he stayed in the saddle, as if glued in place. A couple more tricks proved unsuccessful to dump the man.

A thunderclap of approval went through the crowd. He’d won. Admitting defeat, she drew the bull to a halt.

The edges of her mouth dipped down as she wagged her head with satisfaction. “Not bad, cowboy, not bad at all.”

He glided off the bull like it was nothing, and approached her. And it wasn’t just a walk—it was more of a bold, arrogant stride.

He was good…and he knew it.

A knot caught in Lacy’s throat. Would he be as good in bed? Another wave of desire dampened her panties.

Her heartbeat stuttered when the cowboy bent low, bringing their heads side-by-side. With a deep breath she inhaled his scent, a wild combination of masculinity and spices.

“I can ride anything put between my legs,” he whispered, drawing back so that their gazes met. There was a hint of humor and invitation in his sultry grin.

“Including me?” She froze as the words slipped from her mouth. She literally bit her tongue, tasting the pungent flavor of blood in her mouth.

Where the hell had that come from?

“Yesss…” His response sounded dangerously like the hiss of a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. “When do you get off…? Work, that is?” His eyes grew intense as he awaited her response. His hot breath brushed over her face, and all Lacy could think about was his lips pressed to hers.

Oh, God, what had she done now? She had propositioned a cowboy. Broken rule number one—and surely she would pay dearly for the mistake. This man was a heady combination of muscle, erotic charm and trouble.

“Well?” His brows rose in question.

She looked at his black, wavy hair and could actually feel the cool silky strands slip through her trembling fingers. What would it feel like to have his hair resting on her thighs as he feasted between her legs?

“One. I—I get off at one.” She couldn’t stop the tremor in her voice.

Oh, this just kept getting better. Had she really just agreed to hook up with this man?

“I’ll see you at one. Oh, by the way, my name’s Wyatt.”

She cleared her throat. “Lacy.”

“I know,” he flashed a warm smile her way, before his six-foot-four frame turned and headed for the bar.

Yep, she’d done it. Propositioned a stranger, and a cowboy at that. If she didn’t think quickly she’d be in the man’s arms by 1:15.

Her subconscious took the opportunity to wake-up and casually ask, And what would be so bad about that?

Well, you know…he’s a cowboy!

The soft buried voice responded, You need this. He’s a man first, cowboy second—who will be gone by Monday morning. Out of sight, out of mind. You don’t want the complications of a relationship anyway. Jessie is your main concern. 

Okay, okay, I get your point. Still, Lacy felt an uneasiness creep across her heated skin. She must be crazy.