The Rider's Dangerous Embrace (An Interracial Bad Boy Romance Story) (11 page)

“Cum with me, baby,” Luke whispered. With a moan and a strong grip on her body he came inside of her.

She did. She came hard, her entire body shaking as waves of pleasure flooded her as she called out his name. Sweat dripped off her, each drop sliding down her body and onto him.

“It was worth it,” She panted, her heart thumping in her chest. “You were right.”

Everything else could wait. The missing money. Her father’s ranches, his empire. All that mattered in that moment was him.

Jayda spent the next three days completely buried in paperwork. No matter how many databases she searched, how many files she went through, she could find no evidence of tampering, aside from the numbers being inaccurate, of course. All of the changes in employee matters were signed and verified. With her signature. It was hers alright. But she knew she hadn’t signed those documents.

“Mary,” Jayda called out to Mary, “I have everything packed up. I just need for you to go ahead and take them back to storage.” Six months’ worth of paperwork, in various boxes, were piled in her office.

Mary appeared almost instantly, a bright smile on her face and a flounce in her step. “Sure Ms. Rivers. Anything you need. It is what I am here to do.”

“I also can’t seem to find any invoices for construction projects around the facility, but I know that a few have passed my desk.” Except, they were never completed. That was a key and she needed it.

“Yes, ma’am. I will ask around for those specific records, as I know they have to go through the board.”

She was just a bit too peppy for Jayda’s taste, but she was slowly growing on her.

The lanky woman practically bounced into her office, picked up a couple of boxes like they weighed nothing, and exited.

Jayda shuttered at the thought that she would be returning shortly. Thank God Mary handed her a coffee and a muffin as soon as she entered the building, soothing Jayda’s hatred of mornings. Or she would have been tempted to smack the sparkle right off Little Miss Bubbly’s teeth.

Jayda heaved another stack of papers back into an open box and plopped into her father’s leather chair. There was no way she was going to figure this out.

She bit her lip, and furrowed her brow. There was no clear cut answer here, no trail that led to the changes. Just her signature on a pile of documents. Hell, she was starting to question the idea that she had never signed them. She rubbed her temples and stewed. How was she going to handle this?

Just as she was about to dive back into another stack of documents her cell phone vibrated from her pocket. She fished it out and checked the caller ID before answering. Luke.

“Hello?” Her voice was hopeful.
Maybe I’ll get a rescue from my cowboy in shining boots.

“Hey, are you coming tonight?”

Every time she heard Luke’s voice a little rush of excitement filled her. Even when she was completely confused.

“Coming where?”

“I’m not going to make the obvious joke, I won’t.” He paused for a moment and she imagined that trademark dimple was appearing as he smiled. “To the rodeo.”

She had promised him that she would come watch. It was one of the last of the season.

“Shit, I forgot. I’m so sorry, Luke. Of course I will be there.” In the midst of all she had been doing it was the last thing on her mind.

“It means a lot to the entire company. You have the address?”

“In my email. Loredo, right?” It was a few towns over, she remembered looking at the map online and planning her route, but that was all she knew.

“It might take you a bit more than an hour to get to Loredo, so leave early. How’s the search going?”

“It isn’t. I can’t find any evidence of tampering at all. It really looks like I signed those documents, but I know I didn’t.” The frustration leaked out of her voice as she confessed to him that she was getting nowhere in her search. “Someone is forging my signature exceedingly well. If any agency looks into this, my ass is going to be on the line. Especially if they find the money missing, which they will. Because it was easy. Obvious. Almost like… almost like they want it to show.”

She was being framed.

Shit.

Someone was trying to frame her for this.

“Look, it isn’t as important as redacting them and reinstating the old terms. You need the confidence of your clients, employees, and those you sponsor. We will find whoever is responsible, eventually.”

She liked this side of Luke, the sweet reassuring side that made her want to curl into him.

“Oh, and Jayda? Bring a change of clothing. I reserved a hotel for tonight.”

With a click he hung up the phone. Leave it to him to give her no room to respond and a variety of situations playing through her head. She was tempted to indulge them but there was too much on her mind.

She heard the door creak open and looked up to see Mary looking at her, furrows of worry etched in her forehead.

“Ms. Rivers. I hate to butt-in, but I’ve worked with your father for years. Ever since my brother, well, ever since his accident, he has been very kind to my family. You really seem like you are struggling, is there anything I can do to help?”

Her voice was genuine and Jayda considered the young blond for a moment. Sure, she wasn’t exactly Jayda’s favorite personality type, but she did seem sincere. Jayda was torn.

“Thanks, Mary, but no. I messed this up. I need to fix it.” She didn’t know if she could trust Mary or not, so she kept everything as vague as possible. She should have been more present. Should have known exactly who she was working with, instead of letting everyone else run the show. As irritating as she could be, Mary had worked next to her father for years. Her brother was mauled by a bull during a rodeo, and as his sponsor, her dad had tried to provide for the entire family.

“Are you sure? I might be able to find whatever it is you’re looking for. I have a great memory…” Mary pressed on, walking a few more steps towards Jayda.

She sighed. If her dad trusted Mary, she might as well try.

“Close the door. We need to talk.”

***

Jayda wrapped her coat around her just a little tighter as the wind whipped through the air. Early autumn was turning, and a bitter cold nipped at her face. She squinted her eyes. Even in the VIP stands it was hard to see into the faces of the riders.

She was here to see all her riders. But especially Luke.

“I wasn’t expecting you today, heard you’ve been locked up in the office,” Dustin eased down beside her, his leg sliding against hers on the bleachers for a moment before pulling away. It was clearly an accident. But it still sent tingles up her thigh.

“I made a promise.” She finally caught sight of him in his vest and the telltale hat that he said he would be wearing. He wasn’t looking in her direction, but that didn’t matter. Warmth flooded her.

Dustin spotted him too. Jayda noticed his jaw harden as he realized exactly why she was there. “To Luke?”

“Yes. To Luke.” A blush rose to her cheeks.

He nodded in her direction and then looked through the crowd.

“He’s an okay guy, little rough around the edges. But which one of us isn’t?” Dustin’s voice was smooth, deep. “He is one hell of a rider, though.”

“Yeah, he really is. Finally signing his ass. After all those years of my dad trying.”

“Good on you, but but are you only getting his contract?”

“I…”

“I see,” he paused for a moment then added, “guess you won’t be cashing in the rain check anytime soon, huh?”

“I’m sorry, Dustin.” She really was. He deserved more.

“Not a problem, can’t blame a guy for tryin’ though, can ya?” His small smile showed the beginning of lines around the edges of his eyes. “I just came over to say hello. I have a few people that need me back in the coaching arena.”

He was gone before she could even say a word.

She shifted in her seat and smiled. It wasn’t often she watched a man back down so gracefully. Still, she felt a pang of regret as she watched him walk away. Dustin was a good man. One who deserved someone special. She had confidence that the right girl was just waiting for him to show up at her door.

It wasn’t long before she heard the announcer, pulling her from her thoughts and back to the show. Luke wasn’t up first this time, he drew later, but many of her guys were competing in this one. Just a small local show at the end of the local season, only a couple left in the state.

Most of her guys would go back to ranch work, and the few that were selected to be registered in larger, national and semi-national competitions would be transported around the circuit. It worked on its own, was well-established and funded by multiple equipment agencies.

Now that she knew them, it made it that much more difficult to watch the men perform. Each time they were thrown, she held in a breath, hoping they got up fast enough. That they were unhurt. The stakes were high for the riders. High risk, high reward. That was what her father always used to say.

But it was different now. They were her employees. Her men. And the thought of one of them coming to harm made her nervous. They had families, people they loved.

“Luke Daniels, Number 435 on Barely There.” The announcer blared through the speakers into the stands and into her ears.

He was out like a shot, one hand held high, the other holding tight to the bull rope. That same instinctual ability, reading the bull before he even knew what he is going to do. It was only eight seconds, but you could see a lot in eight seconds.

She could tell that he was talented, she only wished she had met him sooner. The bell buzzed and he jumped off like a shot, running from the beast that was still angry as hell at him. He barely made it to the metal fencing before the bull plowed it, missing him by a quick jump. 85.94. A solid score for the first ride. Not perfect, but pretty damn good.

Relief washed over her as she realized he was okay, and that she was on her feet. She didn’t remember standing, but she quickly sat down, the flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks. It was only the first round. Luke still had another to go.

Intermission was called and several of the sponsors and coaches headed back towards the riders’ area, or to the concession stands. Choosing the former, Jayda meandered back towards where she knew she would find her crew. It was busy, the sights and smells of the rodeo could overwhelm any spectator that got close, but she wasn’t fazed. She pushed through the dust until she saw Luke, in the center of a crowd of men. His eyes met hers and with a tip of his hat, he parted the crowd, making a beeline for Jayda.

“Glad to see you made it, Ms. Rivers.” A smile played on his lips as he looked her over, nodding in approval of her choice of plaid flannel and form fitting jeans. “Even look the part.”

“I dunno if anyone looks the part quite like you do on that bull.” She kept her tone professional, but it was clear that she admired him. He was, after all, like nothing she had ever seen.

“I don’t know about that, going for a 90 point ride. Didn’t quite make it.” He seemed irritated with himself. “Thank you for watching, though.”

“You still have another round.” Her eyes lingered on his.

“I do. If you don’t mind, Ms. Rivers, I would love to give you an update on my progress in your program after the show.” With a reassuring tap on her shoulder he was gone, walking away back towards the men.

She stood there, fingering where he touched. Trying not to stare too hard as he walked away.

Her revere was broken by a hard tap on her shoulder.

“Look lady, you aren’t supposed to be back here,” An older gentleman, dressed in fine western gear chided her. “It ain’t for girlfriends, and you need to get back up in the stands before I call security.”

His smile was just a bit too fake and his skin was just a bit too tan.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, ain’t no place for buckle bunnies, no matter how hot you are for that one.” His faux smile quickly turned into a look of disdain, but before he could continue on she interrupted him.

“I happen to own Rivers and Fields Bull Training, and I sponsor those young men. I believe I have the express right to be here.”

Scarlet flooded her cheeks as she used her most authoritative tone, one that she wasn’t sure was working.

“Ah yes, Jayda Rivers. Have your daddy’s grimace. Well, Ms. Rivers, let me give you a lick of advice. That one, Daniels, ain’t worth your time. May look good in the saddle, but everything he touches turns to shit. Just like his father.” He leaned against a fence post and looked her up and down.

“What in the world are you talking about?”

“Look, ain’t my fault that the little shit fails every time he tries. Seen it before myself. Ask him about it, see if he tells you the truth.”