Chapter 11
“So… have you ever thought maybe it’s time to get a new truck?”
Cole asked the question gently, already knowing the answer. Still, it needed to be asked. Bodie was making money, and he needed to show it off a little for his fans.
“No, not really. This is a great truck.” Bodie shrugged. “You don’t like my truck?”
It was very orange. But it wasn’t about liking it exactly.
“It’s a great truck. It’s just… you want to be thinking about your reputation and your look, you know? I’m not saying get rid of it, but maybe something newer? Something that says champion.”
“I got one for free last year for winning the Finals. It’s parked at my dad’s place.” Bodie rolled his eyes and grinned.
“You might consider trading it out,” he suggested, chuckling at Bodie. Of course, he already had another truck. Of course, he chose to keep driving this one.
“Sure, but this one is better—she’s got good tires, and my radio settings are right. Also, I know exactly how to park her.”
“You use a lot of extra gas in a duallie.” He was still chuckling. Especially at the parking comment. “Maybe drive this puppy around at home and take the newer one on the road?”
“Maybe, sure. It’s black and shiny, says champ on the tail gate and has a pair of metal balls on the hitch.” Bodie rolled his eyes. “Bull balls on my truck.”
“The league—” He snorted, and that turned into a full-on laugh. “Okay, so you could… remove the balls.”
“Castrate my truck…” Bodie was holding the laughter back, just barely. “With my luck, my balls are stamped with a sponsor logo…”
“Don’t give Ayers any ideas.” He wasn’t even trying to hide his laughter.
“Ayers’s Swinging Brass Bull Ball Boot Ornaments, available today!” Oh, Bodie could do a wicked impersonation.
He stared at Bodie. “Wow. Why are you in bull riding? You should totally be an influencer. I could make a fortune off you.”
“Me? There’s no way I’m as well-suited to that as I am at bull riding, but I’ll take the compliment, for sure.” Oh, didn’t Bodie blush so pretty.
Cole smiled and settled himself a little deeper in his seat. “I should compliment you more often. It looks good on you.”
“Ha. You know, when I started, they told me never blush when the cameras turned on because my acne stood out so bad? I never once looked at a camera my cheeks didn’t turn red.”
“Ugh. Poor kid. They made you self-conscious. Well, no worries, you have great skin now, and the blush is hot.”
Did he just say hot? He rolled his eyes at himself. Oh well, they were sort of there now. Sort of. He’d been waiting for Bodie to ride and see how he was feeling.
“That’s cool. I’m glad you’re thinking about me that way. I can’t stop watching your butt.”
“My—” Cole blinked, bemused. Had anyone told him anything about his butt before? “That’s getting a little personal, cowboy.”
“Oh.” Bodie’s cheeks went almost purple. “I’m sorry. My bad.”
He cracked up. “No. I was kidding! Be personal. Love my ass. I’m totally into it.” Cole was blushing now. But he’d let the cowboy have it any time.
“Only because I’m not totally in it…” Bodie murmured.
“It’s just time.” He reached over and rested a hand on Bodie’s thigh.
“Mmm…” Bodie spread a little, his muscles jumping under Cole’s hand. Okay, that was nice.
He didn’t intend to go any further with it because the man was driving and still not feeling a hundred percent, but the connection was clear, it spoke for itself.
“What do you love about Dallas?”
“The city or the event? I love the food in Dallas, I love the energy of the event, and I tend to love the people in Texas, you know?”
“Agreed on the food. I hadn’t planned on being at this event, but since I am, I just thought I’d ask. I try to keep commitments light for the tougher, more competitive events so my clients aren’t tired and have plenty of downtime. I’m not usually here for this one, since I’m not really needed.”
“Well, then you can enjoy it, right? Just wallow in it.”
“Wallow. In a bull riding event.” Bodie just made him smile all the time. Cole was thinking about wallowing in a bull rider though. “I can try that. Have a beer and a hot dog and pretend I’m not working.”
“You could have brisket nachos, even. They would be delicious.”
“They would. Not a bad idea.” He squeezed Bodie’s leg. “Are you going to help me work off all the extra pounds?”
“You know it. I can totally be your exercise buddy…” Bodie’s eyebrows were capable of some wild gyrations. It fascinated him, almost as much as the faux-flirting.
“I feel like a kid. All I want to do is whine and ask if we’re there yet.”
“Nope. We’re still toodling along, but we’re getting closer. Notice all the traffic.”
“Dallas is trafficky, huh? Like Denver. Boulder’s better but still has its moments.”
“We’re actually heading in between Dallas and Fort Worth to Arlington. This whole metroplex is better than Houston for traffic; it’s just fast. A little like LA, weirdly.”
“I don’t mind fast.” He hadn’t meant that in any way other than straight-forward but grinned after it came out.
“Oh, now—I like to ride, but I want all of it. Every single second.” Bodie’s grin was just about wicked.
“You’re absolutely terrible. I’m so surprised, you come across as such a nice… young man.” He bit his lips closed to help him keep a straight face.
“You wish.” Bodie snorted. “I’m old for bull riding.”
“Yeah, well, I’m old for people.”
“Good things I’m not people. I’m a cowboy, right?”
“You are most certainly a cowboy. You ride like one, you wear your Wranglers like one, and your boots definitely smell like a barn.”
“Hey! You are the one who provided the boots.”
“No, that was Ayers. And they’re fine if they’re not in my hotel room. Don’t tell me you don’t stick them on the balcony of your suite when there is one. Or leave them in your truck.” He was teasing mostly, but they did have a pretty strong scent close-up.
“Leather and bull shit for the win.”
“Leather’s good. I have enough bullshit in my life.” Even teasing, Bodie was so fucking positive.
Bodie cracked up. “Oh, man. I’d much rather have my kind than yours. Mine is all natural and washes off!”
“Wouldn’t that be great? I could shower away the people that annoy me. Where do I sign up?” He chuckled and let his fingers roam a little, up Bodie’s side and over his shoulder.
“That would take someone smarter than me, but I’d so be the face of the product. Bodie Jimenez’s Bull Shit Remover.”
“We’d make a fortune. Even more than if you were an influencer.” He dug his fingers into the muscles in Bodie’s shoulder, massaging a little.
“Oh. Oh, damn.” Bodie shivered, and he swore he could see Bodie’s nipples harden under his T-shirt.
“I give a pretty mean backrub, just saying.” He did, too. He couldn’t wait to prove it.
“That sounds like heaven. I don’t mind a massage, but with someone that’s—personal.” Bodie licked his lips, grinned, and pinked for him.
“Personal massages are very nice, I agree. It’s a good excuse to get your hands on somebody.” On someone’s skin too.
“You don’t need an excuse, you know. I’m willing and able.”
“I got that impression. But we’re in a truck halfway to an event, so, it’s not exactly a convenient time.” He reached for the radio. “We need a distraction.”
“You’re a pretty big damn distraction, man. Like whoa.”
“I meant we need a distraction from each other.” He glanced at Bodie, grinning. “Like whoa.”
Bodie pursed his lips, which Cole was quickly learning meant he was trying not to laugh. “Indeed.”
He turned on the radio and set the volume just slightly too loud for comfortable conversation, then leaned back and looked out his window at the passing scenery.
Which was mostly cars and traffic.
That set Bodie to singing.
Loudly.
Deliberately off-key.
And mangling the words.
He tried to ignore it, because he was pretty sure Bodie was fucking with him, and deliberately kept looking out his window and not at the cowboy.
Almost.
He’d heard Bodie sing before.
And no one—no one—thought it was Armadillo by Morning.
He turned his head quickly and stared at Bodie. “You are the worst. The worst. Armadillo? Sandy Foam?”
Bodie blinked over at him. “Hmm? I’m just sanging.”
“I don’t think I’d call that sanging. Or singing either.”
“Sa-an-an-an-anging!” Bodie yodeled.
“Oh my fucking God.” Cole laughed, then howled like a dog.
Bodie didn’t even hesitate, that howl joining right along with his. Oh, that was no fair.
He play-punched Bodie in the arm. “Stop it! You’re driving. Eyes on the road, you lunatic cowboy. Eyes. On the. Road!”
“Aye-aye, Captain! Eyes. Focused. Roadworthy.”
Cole was going to beat him.
“I swear to God I’m going to jump out of this truck.”
“Now, that would leave a mark. You’re not a bull fighter, so you won’t like that…”
He snorted. “Are you saying I’m too pretty?”
“I’m saying you’re too sane, man. Altogether too sane.”
He sat up a little straighter. “I can be not-sane. Hey, I howled first.”
“Right? That was adorable. Absolutely adorable.”
Cole shook his head. “You’re the first person to ever call me adorable.” He didn’t see himself as adorable at all.
“Am I? Really?” Bodie sounded surprised.
“I’ve gotten other things. Some of them much less nice.
” He chuckled. A lot of cowboys assumed he was just another guy in a suit, and he understood.
The business people didn’t always understand the sport.
Or the cowboys. He’d stopped wearing suits at Rocky’s not so gentle suggestion, a long time ago.
“Handsome once or twice when I was younger.”
“Oh, I think you’re fine. Not boyish, at all, and when you smile, you have stunning eyelines.”
“Is that code for I like your wrinkles?” He was kidding, but whatever it was, it made him kind of warm and happy to be appreciated for just… being.
“Eyelines. And yes, you make my balls ache from wanting you.”
Oh, that was direct.
And it made his cock take notice.
“Bodie Jimenez, drive your truck and stop talking about your goddamn balls until I get a chance to get my hands on them.”
“Can I talk about my—”
“No. Just no.”
They cracked up, both of them. Together.