Chapter 23
23
Colt Bishop
U nbelievable. I huff, sitting in one of the folding chairs at the check-in table at the free clinic. I’ve checked everybody in, and it’ll be time to go home soon. William just came out of one of the make-shift rooms, and like he’s done all day long, he does anything in his power to look anywhere but at me . It’s driving me fucking nuts.
It’s been two whole weeks since William and I hooked up at his place. Two fucking weeks, and damn near radio silence. It’s driving me insane. I’m not exactly one to hook up and then expect a call the next day, but damn, something would’ve been nice. I didn’t expect his silence to sting so much. The morning after, we had to be here, but it was so busy that day, we really didn’t have a chance to talk to each other. Then after we were finished, he hightailed out of here so fast you would’ve thought his ass was on fire. I’ve considered texting him a number of times, demanding he face what we’ve done and talk to me… and to be honest, I don’t really know why I haven’t. It’s not like I’m one to shy away from confrontation, but I don’t know. Ev erything with William is never how it usually goes for me, and this is no different.
Shaking these clingy thoughts from my head, I turn around, annoyance at myself flaring inside of me. What the hell is it with this guy? I’m Colt fucking Bishop, a world championship bull rider. I’ve had men and women flocking to me for years. I don’t chase, I don’t overthink, yet this one man has me all twisted up in knots. And for what? Some dick? I mean, yeah, it was fan-fucking-tastic dick, but it’s not like I’ve never had great sex before. Even when I did, I didn’t behave like this. I didn’t obsess over the person. I promptly forgot about them by the next night.
Luckily, the last couple of weeks have been busy, so it’s not like I’ve been sitting around, pouting about it all the time.
In fact, I’ve barely noticed. Okay, that’s a lie, but I really have been busy.
Last weekend, I finally moved back into my house. Honestly, I probably could’ve come back a while ago—when I got my sling off—but I was kind of enjoying having my mom cook dinner every night, so I dragged my feet a little bit. And I know she didn’t mind having me around to feed and look after. However, now that I’m settled in my own place again, I’ll admit, it’s nice. The bed at my house is much comfier than the one at my parents’ place, and having more privacy than just a bedroom is also a plus.
On top of that, I’m finally able to hit the gym again—albeit very carefully. So, between that, physical therapy, and getting back into my normal routine, I’ve been pretty busy, but I’m about sick of this silence. William doesn’t just get to fuck me as good as he did, and then act like it never happened. That’s normally my move. Checking my watch, I note that we’ll be leaving soon, and I’m determined to not let him run out of here like he did last time. Whether he likes it or not, he’ll be talking to me today.
“What’s wrong with you?” Meg asks, pulling out the chair beside me and dropping down into it.
My brows pinch together. “Nothing? I’m fine.”
She snorts. “Yeah, right. You’ve been in a mood all day.”
“Have not.” I totally have.
“Did something happen with Dr. Andino?”
My pulse kicks up as I turn my head to meet her gaze. “What? No. Why would you think that?”
“Well, you’ve been glaring at him all day,” she explains with a shrug. “And he’s been rather snippy, so I figured maybe he snapped at you or something.”
Hmm… snippy, huh? Wonder what that’s about.
“Nah, I’m good, just an off day.”
“Want to talk about it?” she asks, pulling her phone out from her scrubs.
I shake my head. “Nothing to talk about.”
It’s obnoxious how much this shit with William is getting to me, but I can’t say that to Meg. Driving over to his house after the bar that night, I knew whatever was going to happen, he would flip out and act all weird, but it’s still fucking annoying. The sex was damn good, and I know he enjoyed himself. He needs to get out of his head and roll with it. Forget all the reasons we shouldn’t and embrace the chemistry we have. Why is that so hard?
Meg stands up, pocketing her phone. “Alright, well, I’m going to help Dr. Braylon clean up his area and load up his car. You got Dr. Andino?”
This is how Meg and I have done things since the first free clinic; she always assists Dr. Braylon with cleanup, and I always help William, so I know what she means, but the question makes me chuckle to myself anyway. “Yeah, I got him.”
“Alrighty, see you at Whiskey Creek, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” A grin tugs at my lips as I wink at her. Smiling back at me, she nods before waving and heading toward Dr. Braylon’s station. Tomorrow is her birthday, so to celebrate, the four of us are going to the bar in town to have a few rounds and hang out. Should make for an interesting afternoon, considering my current state of silence with William. Can’t say I’m not looking forward to it, though.
Standing up, I fold the two chairs up before doing the same with the table, setting them off to the side like we do every weekend we’re here, then I go find William. He’s in one of the makeshift rooms, breaking down the hospital bed. Taking advantage of the fact that he hasn’t noticed me yet, I allow myself a moment to admire him. His hair is mussed up, like he’s been running his fingers through it. It’s sexy in a just-fucked kind of way. The short sleeves of his black scrub top are rolled up once, showing off his thick, corded arms, and the pants are doing absolute fucking wonders at accentuating his round ass. I clench my jaw, swallowing a groan while I imagine what it would be like to drop to my knees and take a bite out of one of the firm globes right now.
Glancing over at me, our eyes lock. William stands up straight, his shoulders nearly to his ears. “Colt. Hello.”
My lip tips up into a grin. “Hey, Doc.”
Scanning the area, presumably seeing if we’re alone, he asks, “What are you doing?”
“Coming to see if you need any help, but it looks like you’re mostly finished? ”
He nods. “The bed in the room beside this one needs to be broken down, but other than that, I’m pretty much done.”
“I’ll take care of it,” I call out as I start toward that area.
William grunts a quick ‘thank you’ under his breath, but nothing else is said. He’s so damn tense; it’s a real shame he doesn’t let me take care of that for him. I could have him relaxed in no time. By the time we’re all finished, the tension between us is stifling. I bring the last bed out to his car, thankful that I can finally help with shit like this, and I find him standing awkwardly by the hood of the vehicle.
“That’s the last of ’em,” I say as I shove it in the back. It’s nice that they’re able to do this twice a month, but it’s shitty that they have to tote all of these supplies back and forth from the office to do so. “Wanna ride together to the bar?”
William glances up, brows pinched together, lips pressed into a thin line. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
Huffing out a laugh, I approach him. “Why not?” I ask with a raised brow. “Scared I might talk you into fucking me on the side of the road?”
“Colt,” he grits out, his nostrils flaring on a harsh exhale.
“William,” I toss back, the smirk on my lips growing. “It’s just a car ride together. I’ll even promise to keep my hands to myself inside the vehicle.”
Studying me for a moment, not saying anything, I’m convinced he’s going to tell me to fuck off. But then he finally blows out a breath and nods his head. “Yeah, okay. Fine.”
“Cool, but first, can you follow me to my house so I can drop my car off, and then we can go?”
“Colt.”
I hold up my hands innocently. “My house is right around the corner, Doc. I don’t want to leave it parked at the arena. ”
“Your house is no less than ten minutes from here,” he drawls. “I wouldn’t exactly say that’s right around the corner.”
“That’s my parents’ house,” I explain. “I’m back in my own house, which is right around the corner.” Taking a step closer, his rich mahogany scent fills my senses. “Maybe you could’ve asked me that if you hadn’t spent the last two weeks ignoring me.”
His jaw flexes as he meets my gaze. “I haven’t been ignoring you.”
My lips tip up as I pat beneath his shoulder with my hand. “Sure, you haven’t. Now, follow me to my house, Doc .”
It’s a damn miracle when he finally climbs into his car as I’m starting mine. About ten minutes later, we’re pulling into a parking spot in front of the bar. The parking lot isn’t very full, but that’s not surprising, even for a Saturday afternoon. Meg and Dr. Braylon—I guess maybe I should call him Doug outside of the free clinic—are already here, as is Scott, Meg’s boyfriend.
William and I draw closer to the table they’re sitting at, and he’s still stiff as ever. Meg smiles when she sees us. “Yay, you’re here!”
“A round of shots for the birthday girl?” I ask, hiking my thumb over my shoulder toward the counter.
Her eyes widen with excitement. “Yes, let’s!”
William groans beside me, but it’s quiet enough that I’m sure only I heard him. I chuckle to myself as I head to the bar and order a round of tequila shots. By the time I bring them back to the table, William has found himself a seat beside Doug, and much to my pleasure, the only other open one is right next to him. Setting down the tray of shots, I sidle up beside William before passing the tequila out.
“To Meg,” I announce, holding my glass up. “May this be the best twenty-first year of your life. ”
She snorts. “I’m twenty-seven, dork.”
“Yeah, says who? Drink up, birthday girl.”
We all toss the liquid back; some of us better than others. Meg’s boyfriend almost pukes as he downs the liquor. Wimp.
“Are you doing anything with your family for your birthday?” William asks.
Meg nods. “Yeah, we’re going to Cheyenne next weekend for a little trip. It should be fun.”
“How long have you two love birds been together?” I ask, indicating between Meg and Wimp Boy.
Glancing at him, there’re practically hearts in her eyes. She smiles before glancing back to me. “It’ll be three years next month.”
As casually as I can, I lean back in my chair, letting my leg inch over, right up against William’s. My ankle rubs his, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning at the way his body stiffens beside me.
“How’d you meet?” I ask.
Meg dives into a semi-interesting story about how she and Gags McGee were set up on a blind date through mutual friends over the holidays. There was ice skating and hot chocolate and mistletoe involved. But I’m finding it rather impossible to listen when the pressure of William’s calf is brushing against my own. When I can see out of my periphery the way the vein in his neck is throbbing, and the way his Adam’s apple rolls in his throat when he swallows harshly. When I can see the way his chest rises and falls a little quicker as his breathing gets more rapid. There’s something so… alluring, so intoxicating, about knowing I have the ability to affect a man of his caliber the way that I do. The way a single brush of my foot sends him into a panic. The way I’m willing to bet a year’s worth of rodeo winnings that if I were to reach over right now and cup him th rough his pants, I know I’d find him hard for me. And that little tidbit of information has my cock thickening in my jeans as the time goes on.
We end up ordering some nachos and mozzarella sticks for the table, along with a pitcher of beer. The conversation flows easily, and even William seems to be relaxing a bit. And what a perfect time to fuck with him some more. Sitting back in my chair, I kick my legs wide, the side of my thigh now pressing against his. He visibly stiffens immediately, but he doesn’t pull his leg away. A quick glance around the area tells me that nobody is watching us, so I stealthily bring my hand under the table, running my palm across the top of his thigh. The muscles tense beneath my touch, and I hear William exhaling roughly. Poor guy’s probably ready to explode.
Maybe I should stop…
Who the fuck am I kidding? I’m not doing that.
“Doug,” I murmur, my gaze finding him across the table. “How’re Heather and the kids?”
“Oh, they’re good.” He smiles in that faraway way that somebody does when they start talking about their spouse and children. “My youngest started karate last week.”
As he pulls out his phone to show the table all the pictures, I squeeze William’s thigh before inching a little farther in. My palm rubs up and down as we all listen to Doug explain his kid’s first class and how it went. With my free hand, I grab my beer, bringing the chilled glass up to my lips as I take a sip. When I set it back down on the table, I glance quickly at William, finding him stock still, jaw clenched as he watches Doug, pretending to be paying attention when I know for a fact his mind is everywhere but this conversation.
Before I have a chance to move my hand any closer to where I really want to go, he reaches under the table, placing his hand on top of mine, squeezing. His hand is warm and soft against mine, and I allow myself a moment to relish the feel of it before I turn my hand over, linking our fingers together. A bolt of electricity and arousal settles through my veins as I hold his hand in mine, like it’s the most natural thing in the world for us to do.
Yes, I’m mostly doing it because I know this isn’t what he was intending when he grabbed me, and I’m sure it’s annoying him. But also… I’m kind of taken aback by how much I like it. How much I don’t want to let go. Surprisingly, he doesn’t pull away right away. Doug finishes gushing about his family, all while, the soft heat from his palm radiates into mine. And when he does finally withdraw, I find myself missing the touch almost immediately.
I don’t care how I do it, but I will have William underneath me again by the end of the night, whether he knows it or not.
I need him on a visceral level. Need to be touched by him. Kissed by him. Held by him… What would that be like? I’m not a cuddler, but something about his big, strong arms has me wondering what it would feel like to try.
I’m in trouble, but I can’t find it in me to care. This can never go anywhere, so I may as well enjoy it for what it is while I can—some hot, low-down fun.