Page 14 of The Stallion (Men Under Revue #2)

Bria

My head was pounding as I shamefully crawled into the back of Asher’s car and lay across the seat like a corpse.

“Whose idea and piss poor planning was it to go balls to the wall on our last night and then leave at five in the morning?” I groaned my disapproval as I heard Asher lifting and shoving our bags into the back of her Jeep.

“Me. Guilty as charged.” Her proud, peppy attitude wasn’t catching, and I wanted to vomit on the floor of her recently cleaned SUV.

“Fuck, Ash… Why ?”

“Because we have work to do if we’re going to kick ass at nationals this year.”

I groaned again, rolling onto my back with an arm draped over my eyes to keep the sun from blinding the shit out of me .

Nationals. How could I forget? We’d been practicing for months, and regional qualifiers were right around the corner, with the first-place win within our grasp.

The Savage Sirens had placed second in the last three years, and when I took over as captain, my goal was to bring home that massive trophy—to brand the Sirens as the number one team in the nation.

We were out for blood this year, and I wasn’t about to let my hangover destroy all our hard work. One lost day of practice could make or break our chances of winning.

That may sound extreme to some, but this wasn’t high school or college league; we were competing at an entirely different level.

“Alright, you’ve had your moment of protest, now scoot the fuck over so Mick and Natalie can get in.”

“How are all three of you not hungover?”

“Because we didn’t drink three vodka Red Bulls followed by two glasses of champagne last night—where did you go, by the way?

Mick said she couldn’t find you in the women’s restroom.

.. Or the men’s—don’t ask why she went in there.

” Asher raised her brow with a chuckle as she leaned her hip against the door.

And then suddenly, I felt significantly more sober than I had thirty seconds ago. Last night’s adventure to find the restroom was staring me down from both sides of the vehicle.

Shit.

“I just—I went… I found—” Oh, God help me.

“You got laid last night, didn’t you?” The prideful smirk on Asher’s face was damning, and I could feel my face turning flush from embarrassment. Not because I hooked up with Dallas, but because she figured it out so quickly. “See, what did I tell you? Don’t you feel so much better now?”

“Mortified. Now, can we please go before the second wave of this hangover hits me? I’d like to be as far away from—”

“Who was he?” Mick cut in with a cheerful giggle.

“No.” I shot her a stern look as if I were scolding a puppy.

“Oh, come on, tell us!” Natalie begged with a shit-eating grin.

“Abso-fucking-lutely not.”

“Don’t worry… I’ll get it out of her by the end of the day.” Asher chimed in once she was in the driver’s seat, pressing her tongue against the back of her teeth as she looked me up and down, inspecting me as if his name was tattooed across my forehead in bold fucking letters.

Oh shit, I didn’t get a tattoo last night too, did I?

“You three are relentless… and exhausting…” I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling as if my head were about to explode.

“That’s why you love us!” Asher sang as loudly as possible, my ears now ringing in tandem with my pounding skull.

“Just fucking drive, Ash.”

“Yes, ma’am! No need to waste that decent fuck by getting your panties in a wad. We still have a full afternoon of training to get through.”

Training. Just what I needed to take my mind off the events of last night.

Leaving Dallas behind in Vegas and bringing myself back home to Phoenix.

“Pull the scorpion and hold it for five, Ash!”

Eight hours later, I was at the top of my game with a clear head and energy to match—thanks to one of the energy drinks Asher poured down my throat. I had to admit, I could see why she enjoyed her daily dose of caffeine—it worked almost as well as sex as a mood elevator.

“Alright, run the last segment one more time with no falls in the final formation, and we can call it a day.”

I scrolled back to the last thirty seconds of our mix, a custom-curated mash-up of songs from the mid-two thousands that Asher and I had worked on for weeks before sending our selections to a producer who then spliced them into the perfect track.

We chose a remixed version of “Damaged” by Danity Kane as one of the songs, and it was the segment we were currently focusing on for today's practice.

As if that didn’t just sum up my current state of life too…

Connor’s actions were unforgivable, and I would never take him back. Not even if he came crawling on his hands and knees. Fucking forget it.

Hitting play, the last portion of our dance track resumed playing through the Bluetooth speaker, and I dropped my phone to the grass, running over to take my position in our current formation.

There were twenty-five of us on the team, including me. Six of those were men, making it possible for us to perform one of my favorite and more complicated basket toss stunts, where we launched a flyer clear across one side of the mat to the other in an arch behind the center pyramid.

Occasionally, I filled in as a base, depending on the stunt being performed, but since joining the team when I turned eighteen, I’ve primarily been a flyer. I loved the rush and every part of the role.

The sun had just begun to set as we wrapped up our practice session. Everyone, except me, was exhausted and dragged their heels as we parted ways.

I was surprised at how much extra energy I had left despite having been up since almost five.

Asher joined the rest of the squad, leaving the field and following them into the locker rooms to shower and change, while I stayed behind to stretch after being stuck in the SUV for five and a half hours.

The drive back to our apartment wasn’t far, but I already dreaded getting back into it.

“A cheerleader, huh?” The smooth voice behind me was all too familiar, my insides instantly tightening as I winced.

How in the hell…

I peered over my shoulder and found none other than Dallas-god-help-me-Ryan eying my ass as if it were an all-you-can-eat buffet.

“I didn’t peg you for a stalker.”

As irritated as I was, I tried my hardest to stay calm and collected. I straightened from my bent-over position and placed my hands on my hips .

It should have bothered me that he was here, unable to figure out how the fuck he found me so quickly and easily. And yet, I couldn’t understand why my heart accelerated and my stomach twisted into a knot at the sound of his voice.

My exceptionally attractive one-night stand was now standing right behind me, with his beautiful, dirty blonde hair that begged to be tugged, hands casually placed in the pockets of his jeans, and a smug smile that could set ovaries on fire.

Why did he have to be so fucking hot?

“It’s not stalking if you wanted me to find you.”

“Bold statement coming from a man who somehow managed to show up on a random college campus football field in the middle of Arizona. What are the odds that you’d know exactly where I’d be this afternoon?

” I pushed as much sarcasm into my words as possible, and all Dallas did in response was shrug, as if he had found me by happy fucking coincidence.

Dallas stalked across the running track to where I was standing, and immediately, my breath hitched—my lower belly aching for him.

“Well, since I live and work in Vegas, I think it’s safe to say that Lady Luck is always on my side when I need her.”

The heavy eye roll I sent him in response almost threw me off balance.

This man was fucking full of himself.

“I’m so glad you two are well acquainted. You should take her back to Vegas with you. I’m sure she’s already missing your bed. ”

“I’d rather take you instead. Finish what we started? Fuck around some more?” Dallas leaned over my shoulder, his breath caressing my ear with his half-murmured words.

I sucked in a sharp breath, swallowing down my urge to moan with desire.

A man I had just met—who danced provocatively on a stage in front of thousands of women every night—drove five hours to Phoenix… for me?

My insides were beginning to melt like ice on scorching hot pavement—that silver tongue of his setting my soul ablaze.

Jesus Christ, was I ovulating? What the fuck was in that energy drink…

“As if finishing inside of me once wasn’t enough for you? Thanks for the offer, but I’m fully booked.” I cleared my throat and stepped out of his reach, feeling the urgent need to cool off as my face flushed with burning need.

“Then I guess I should look for a hotel nearby because I’m not leaving Phoenix without you.”

Umm… excuse me?

Why would be the better question to ask here, but—

“You sound incredibly clingy. Does that usually go over well with all the women you chase?” I furrowed my brows and pursed my lips while my eyes inspected every gorgeous inch of him.

It was hard not to seem interested when I couldn’t find a single fucking flaw on his incredibly toned and chiseled body .

You’re riding that fine line, Bria. Stop now before you start something you don’t want to finish—like riding him harder than the line itself.

“I don’t chase women, only my gorgeous wife when she decides to leave the city without informing me first.”

“Your—Wait, your—Your what?” I gawked at him, dumbfounded as to whether I had heard him correctly.

Did he just call me his wife? No… I couldn’t possibly—

“Did you forget our eventful night already? I know you had a lot of fun, but I didn’t think you’d forget the most important part. The one where you and I exchanged vows, and then you signed your name… right here.”

Dallas carefully removed and unfolded the piece of paper from inside his denim jacket and presented it to me.

The first thing that caught my attention was the embossed seal, emphasized by the setting sun: State of Nevada.

Holy fuck... I did not…

“You sure did, sweet girl—” Shit, I just said that out loud. “Or would you prefer if I called you wifey instead? Mrs. Ryan, perhaps?” Dallas’s tone was mocking and so infuriatingly proud. “Beautiful handwriting, I might add.”

I can’t believe I got fucking married last night—

Wait… Wasn’t I drunk? I only remember vague moments, but…

“With the amount of alcohol that was in my system, that can’t be—”

“Legal? You’re right, it’s not—not yet, at least. That’s why I drove all the way here—with a proposal. For you.”

In sheer disbelief, I touched the marriage license, dragging my thumb along the raised seal again and my fingertips across where I had signed my name in ink.

Bria Robins . That was my handwriting—my name.

“You already have the signed license, so unless you plan on formally getting down on one knee, it’s a little late for proposals, don’t you think?

” I lifted my determined eyes to meet his, feeling a small wave of relief as I glimpsed the blank space where a notary stamp should be but wasn’t. “What do you want from me?”

It wasn’t legal—not yet, and he wasn’t lying. But then why?

What could a man like Dallas Ryan possibly need with someone like me?

“There are finer details that I can’t disclose to you right now, but essentially, what I want from you is simple: for you to pretend to be my wife— legally .

I’ll give you anything you want, everything you need.

But you have to return home with me tonight to make this happen.

” Dallas took the license, folding and tucking it back into his jacket before sliding one hand into his jeans and holding the other out for me to take. “What do you say?”

This had to be a fucking joke. He wasn’t serious about this, was he?

Could he notarize it without my consent? Would he? It was already signed…

As I stood there, I could feel my breathing turning erratic, my mind racing with everything he had just dumped into my hands—I had started hyperventilating.

Dallas stepped forward, wrapping his arms around my body and holding me tightly against his chest .

“Breathe, sweet girl.” He whispered against my head.

I could feel his soft lips pressing into my scalp. Fuck he was tall.

My body trembled with the rush of emotions that had crashed into me.

Anger, fear, deception… rage .

“Bria!” I snapped out of my spiraling state as Asher’s voice called from across the way.

Shit. What the hell was I going to do?

“I need to— fuck —I’ll be right back,” I hissed under my breath before I pushed Dallas away from me and sprinted across the track to where Asher waited, trying to put as much distance between me and the man of my dreams before I did something even more compromising and stupid.

Like saying fucking yes.

As if I didn’t have enough shit on my plate with Connor, now another man had entered my life—just as problematic.

Dallas goddamn Ryan.