Page 60 of Guarding Grace (Hawk Security #2)

“It won’t matter.” She lined up her shot. “You’re going down, frogman.” It was better than calling me sailor boy .

That’s what she said would have been my comeback, but I held my tongue. I admired her form as she took the shot.

After sinking three balls, she missed on the fourth.

I prepared for my chance and sighted along my cue. “Nine in the corner.”

The vixen undid a button on her shirt and leaned over the table at my bank point.

I gulped, doing my best to ignore the swell of her cleavage as she breathed deep right before my shot. The ball went in.

She did her best to distract me like that for the next several shots, but she didn’t know who she was dealing with.

SEALs were masters of concentration when the situation required it.

I had two balls left for the win when she moved behind me as I lined up the eleven ball.

She leaned over the table next to me and breathed into my ear just as I pulled the cue back. “I like how you handle that big stick.”

My shot missed. “Your turn, gorgeous.”

She rewarded me with a smile. “Gorgeous, huh?”

I brushed my hand along the small of her back as I went around her. “I didn’t want to insult you by calling you merely beautiful.”

She blushed. “I’m still going to beat you.”

Maybe, but I’d gotten to her.

She picked up the cash after sinking the last ball. “Thanks for the game.”

“Double or nothing?” I suggested.

Shaking her head, she pocketed the bills. “I’ll quit while I’m ahead, and I expect you to honor our agreement.”

“I’m a SEAL. You can count on that.” I watched her ass as I followed her back to the group.

“I’m ready, pretty lady,” Pete said as he walked up. He’d been watching our game.

Peyton laid her cue on the table. “No thanks.”

“The winner isn’t allowed to shirk a pre-announced challenge,” Pete noted. “Them’s the rules.”

I nodded. “He’s right.”

Pete put two twenties on the table.

Reluctantly, Peyton pulled out her cash, and the game started.

Pete was a gentleman and didn’t try to distract her in any way.

She also didn’t pull her cleavage tricks on him.

On the other hand, I made it a point to position myself where I could enjoy a nice view of her cleavage when she leaned over to shoot.

As the other tables finished, the rest of the group gathered around to watch.

“Bull ride after this,” Lucas announced.

Duke and Winston whooped their appreciation.

It was close, but in the end, she lost to him, and Pete swiped up the money.

“Pony up,” Lucas said. “Pairs tonight. Twenty each. Winner take all. ”

“It’s not for me,” Peyton said.

Serena grabbed her arm. “It’s a tradition. You have to.”

“Cobra and Serena,” Lucas announced. He sometimes fell back into using Duke’s old codename. “Then, Terry and Grace, Winston and Constance.”

I crossed my fingers.

“Jordy and Joe, Zane and Peyton.”

Yes. This would be fun.

Peyton backed up two steps, her opinion clear.

Serena wasn’t having it. “You have to. You two are a team.” She indicated me.

“But I have no idea how?—”

“Hold on to Zane and clamp your legs on the bull. That’s all there is to it. Stay on as long as you can.”

I laid a hand on Peyton’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I promise not to land on you.”

“I don’t have the money,” she tried.

I wasn’t letting go of this opportunity for contact with Peyton. “I’ll pay your entry, and if we win, you take the pot. It’s a hundred bucks.”

That brought light to her eyes. “I get it all?”

“In exchange for one lunch.”

“Terry, you and Grace are up first,” Lucas boomed.

We gathered around the ring, and I chose a spot next to Peyton.

“Four seconds,” Lucas announced when Grace got thrown off quickly.

“She didn’t hold on to Terry tightly enough,” Serena said from the other side of Peyton.

“That’s key,” I agreed.

Winston and Constance were next.

The group counted the seconds off loudly. They lasted six seconds.

“Did you see how loose her legs were?” Serena asked.

Peyton nodded.

Serena left us when Lucas announced that she and Duke were next up.

Peyton was getting into it, yelling the count as they struggled to stay on.

Duke held on, but Serena slipped off at nine seconds, whooping with joy at their time on the clock. This wasn’t as tough as real bull riding, where the goal was to stay on for eight seconds, but it was still a good time.

“Zane and Peyton next,” Lucas called.

Peyton shook her head and backed off.

I waved Lucas off. “Since she’s a novice, we’ll go last.”

“Okay, computer guy,” Joe said. “Let’s show ’em how it’s done.”

Jordy jumped into the ring and onto the bull.

Joe grabbed his belt and yanked him off. “No way am I riding back seat.” It took him two tries to mount the slippery, leather-clad mechanical monster.

Jordy lithely jumped up, but instead of wrapping his arms around old Joe, he grabbed his belt loops. “You stink.”

“Shut up and ride,” Joe grumbled.

The ride started, and Jordy lost his grip within two seconds.

I took Peyton’s hand. “Okay, gorgeous, our turn.” She couldn’t avoid this any longer. “The hundred is ours to win.”

She followed willingly. “Yeah. Win.”

The heavily padded floor of the ring was a struggle to walk on.

She rushed around and beat me to the bull. “I want to be in front.”

“You go, girl,” Serena yelled.

Our competition had attracted quite a crowd, and the girls around the ring hooted and egged her on with more you-go-girl comments.

The crowd hooted.

“You’re not strong enough to hold the rope with me yanking you back when it spins.”

“Help me up,” she insisted.

“I thought you wanted to win the hundred.”

She stepped back. “I do.”

I swung my leg up and over, then offered my arm to help lever her up behind me.

The girls around the ring booed the decision.

Next to the controls, Lucas yelled, “Peyton, nod when you’re ready.

I wrapped the rope around my hand and gripped tight. “Hold on as tight as you can.” The feel of her soft chest pressed up against my back was something I’d been waiting for, and it felt as good as I’d imagined.

Then the mechanical beast started gyrating.

The crowd started counting the seconds.

At three, I felt her slip to the right. Then she centered herself again on the next buck.

At four, she slipped precariously to the left.

With my free hand, I grabbed her thigh and got her righted again at the six-second mark. It was looking good.

She had a seriously strong grip on me.

At seven seconds, she slipped again, this time to the right.

My right hand was on the rope, and I couldn’t help her.

With a scream and a laugh, she went overboard at eight seconds. So close, but not enough to win.

The operator cut the machine, and she was still laughing when it stopped, so I slid off to help her up.

“Another ride,” she demanded. “And this time, I’m in front.”

We looked at Lucas. He nodded.

Excited to get my arms around this woman, I was willing to try anything. I boosted her up and helped her wrap the rope tight against the handhold.

The metal handhold was for sissies. Our rule was you could only hold the rope.

After swinging up behind her, I snuggled close and wrapped my hands down low around her. My God, she felt good. I hoped my dick didn’t notice I was up tight against her ass.

She pried at my hands. “Let go. I have an idea.”

I watched her thread the loose end of the rope through the handhold.

“Now grab the two ends and hold me up against the handle.”

I did. It was a good idea, and I clamped my legs around her ass. “I think I’m going to like this.”

“Mind out of the gutter and hold on, cowboy.”

I glued myself to her as the beast started up.

The crowd was even more raucous than before, with the women all yelling.

At the count of five, it was looking good, but then a rapid double buck loosened me, and I started to lose it to the left.

At six, we got a lucky spin the other way, and I re-centered myself behind her.

When the count reached ten, the crowd went wild.

Peyton turned her head. “I told you.”

I lost my balance at the next spin and had to let go to keep from dragging her off.

With a scream, she came off a second later and landed on top of me. Her knee landed between my legs, but not high enough to cripple me. She was still laughing when I grabbed her.

“We won,” she said. “I told you my way was better.”

I held her a few seconds longer than appropriate by pretending the crowd was too loud. “What did you say?” My dick certainly noticed the firm press of her tits against me.

She repeated herself, then climbed off me, holding her arms high. “We won. We won.”

The next group took over the bull after I exited.

“No. Only the first ride counts,” I heard Lucas tell her. “Cobra and Serena won. Those are the rules.”

“Shit,” she swore before sending a sneer my way. It had now become my fault that she wasn’t a hundred dollars richer. “Shit, shit, shit.”

I stayed quiet, smart enough to not tangle with an enraged woman.

“You did great,” Serena congratulated her. “On my first time, I lasted like one buck and then splat.” She made a motion with her hands.

“Thanks.”

They hugged, and I wished it was me.

She checked the expensive Rolex on her wrist. “I’ve gotta get going.”

Stepping forward, I made the offer. “I’ll drive you.”

“No. It’s not far, and I have my bike.”

“It’ll fit in the back.” That argument hadn’t worked the first time, but it was worth a try.

She shook her head and backed away to retrieve her purse from Lucas, who had been the keeper of the purses while the women rode.

Remembering my promise not to proposition her tonight, I stayed back.

She found Grace and Terry. “I’ve got to call it a night.” She took Grace’s hand. “I’m so happy for you guys.”

“Thanks for coming,” Grace answered, hugging her. “And thank you for the lovely candlesticks.”

Peyton hugged Terry as well before walking out the door.

I was the only one not getting those hugs. Fuck it. At night, on a bike, in city traffic was not safe. I walked out the door after her. I hadn’t promised to not be a gentleman and follow to see that she made it home safely.