Chapter 5
CHAPTER
FIVE
Titus
The Millers Pointe Rodeo is considered one of the top of the season and this kickoff barbecue proves it. The sponsors are deep in this tent and everything is laid the hell out and top notch. I’ve already met with the reps from Backfire BBQ and the Luxury is Powers dealerships and secured sponsorships. I’m on a high and leaving here with fine ass Quinn just took this shit up a notch. She’s handled her business, we’ve eaten some grub, and now we are heading to the spot, Forty Acres.
“What size tires are these? Your truck is high as hell,” she says after I open my passenger door.
“Negative fifty-five offset wheels on big boys, thirty-eights. And I had the truck lifted six inches.”
“Clearly, you didn’t think about us ladies when you bought this. I cannot get up there,” she snaps and I smile at her. “I’m serious,” she adds.
I’ve been itching to have my hands on her since I saw her walk into that barbeque tent. My eyes stayed on her ass, even when I was handling my business. So now that I had her here with me, I wasn’t wasting any more time. After stepping behind her, I place my hands on her hips and lean into the side of her face.
“The right lady doesn’t have to worry about getting into my ride. Because I want her in it, I’ll lift her sexy body every fucking time.”
Before she can say a word, I wrap my left arm around her then scoop her knees with my right one and lift her right into my passenger seat.
“Boy, you could have dropped me,” she exclaims.
“Never that,” I tell her before closing her door.
“Don’t look at me to pick your ass up, ma,” Lab tells Quinn’s friend Rini. I finally remembered her name. “I’m not fucking up my back.”
“Well, can you at least help me up? I damn sho’ can’t jump up into this truck.”
“I got you,” I tell her. Lab opens the back door and I clasp my fingers together and place my laced hands in front of her. “Grab the bar up there then step in my hands.”
“Your hands? Um, no. I’m not going to break my neck when you can’t hold me.”
While Rini is a little thicker than Quinn, she’s still light work for me. Because lifting is only reserved for the beauty already inside of my ride, I cuff my hands and insist.
“Grab it and step here. Lab will support you. Trust me, we got you,” I say.
“Girl! If you don’t let him help you!” Quinn says. Her window is down and her head is out. “Step on his hands.”
“If I fall,” Rini says, then sucks her teeth. However, she places her foot into my hands, grips the handle and gets in. Lab’s hands are still on her ass even as she sits.
“Phat ass,” he utters before removing them.
He closes the door then we both walk over to the driver’s side and get in. Quinn’s sweet scent has filled my ride, taking over and I like it. I like her. When I take my hat off and place it on my middle console, she grabs it, flips the visor down then places my hat on her head. She turns to face me, smiling hard as hell.
“This is mine for the rest of the night,” she says.
“Bet... if you’re mine for the rest of the night,” I counter and she shakes her head. Her smile never drops though.
“Okay!” Rini exclaims from the backseat and Quinn laughs.
“Deal,” she mumbles but I hear her loud and fucking clear.
I start my truck and maneuver out of the competitors’ back parking lot. Forty Acres deep in town. It’s one of Lab’s people’s spots but I’ve been a few times. It’s straight and the preferred spot for rodeo competitors. When the fairgrounds shut down tonight after midnight, it’s going to be packed, so we are beating the main crowd. Plus, I’m not trying to be out here too late. I’m competing tomorrow evening and I need to check on Phoenix tonight. But more importantly, I need some real alone time with Quinn.
It’s been a minute since any woman has had me feeling like this. Real shit, I’m feeling the fuck out of her. I have been since I saw her at that gas station. She’s pretty as hell and her body is fucking ridiculous but I like her. Her boss ass personality, her attitude, and the way she looks at me has me all in already. She stares into my eyes and doesn’t shy away.
“If this is the parking lot when it’s not crowded, I hate to see how bad it gets later tonight,” Quinn comments the moment we pull into the parking lot.
“This is crowded but when I say everybody will be here after the rodeo, I mean that. It’s going to be wall to wall,” Rini says.
“I’m going to put you out up front then park,” I say.
“Good, we can get in that line,” Quinn says.
“Don’t worry about that. My uncle Hank owns this. We’re not waiting in that shit. Just wait up front to the side, ma,” Lab tells them.
I pull up to the front then hop out. I open the back door and help Rini out then go to the front for Quinn. She opens the door before I can.
“I’m not going to let you pick me up in front of all these people,” she says with a smirk.
“Why? I don’t give a fuck who sees me carrying you.” I walk closer and she places her hands on my chest.
“No, Titus! Just help me out. I can jump,” she says and I ignore her.
The minute she turns and tries to jump out, I grab her, wrap my arms around her, and she practically slides down to the ground in my arms. When her boots hit the pavement, I tilt my hat up to see her face.
“Every time I can get you in my arms, I’m going to make that happen. You good with that?”
“Looks like I have to be good with it.”
“Only if you want to, Miss Quinn.”
“You can just call me Quinn.”
“I want to call you mine,” I admit before tapping her ass and walking back to my truck. The bouncer at the door is eyeing my ride and I don’t want no static.
As soon as I’m in my truck, Lab laughs. “Bruh, you don’t listen.”
“What?”
“I told you to look but don’t touch. Your sponsorship?”
“I got two tonight, and after I qualify, I’m sure I’ll get more. But real shit, if I have to choose between Quinn and Jaxson Boots, it fa sho’ will be her.”
“You barely know her.”
“What I do know is enough. Stay off mine and focus on ol’ girl.”
“Oh. I’m all on ma,” he assures.
I find a park in the back corner of the parking lot and back into it. Then Lab and I walk to the girls. Lab hollas at the bouncer and we walk straight in, skipping that long ass line.
Forty Acres is your average chill spot. There’s a long bar that covers the left wall, a jukebox connected to big ass speakers, tables and chairs throughout with a few small sofas, and a huge dance floor in the middle of everything. It’s the perfect chill spot for cowboys, strong ass drinks, and dancing.
“What do you want to drink?” I ask Quinn.
“I don’t know. I had a drink at the barbecue.”
“Just one?”
“Yes. It was strong though. What are you getting?”
“Black Barrel,” I say, referring to Black Ops’ special aged bourbon.
“Okay. I’ll have that too but with sour on the rocks.”
“I got you. Find a table and I’ll get the drinks.”
Lab talks to Rini and when she and Quinn walk off, he and I head to the bar. There are three bartenders serving the crowd, including his uncle on his mom’s side, Hank. Like he did outside, Lab bypasses the crowd and stands at the end of the bar. Hank spots him then walks over to us. He takes our orders and as he makes our drinks, I turn away from him and scan the club… for her.
I spot her at the jukebox. One arm is stretched out on it and her other hand is pressing buttons on the box. Her ass in those shorts is poking and my view is amazing. I can stare at her pretty ass all night. Lab’s hand on my back is the only thing that pulls my eyes from her. Our drinks are ready. After dropping a c-note on the bar, I grab our drinks and Lab gets theirs.
He spots Rini at a table in the corner near the jukebox and I walk over to Quinn. I stand behind her and she must feel my presence because she leans back into me then rocks back and forth to the song blasting from the speakers. She turns around to face me and takes her drink from my hand.
“Thanks,” she says with a smile before taking a sip. “This is good. What was it? Barrel Blend?”
“Black Ops Black Barrel.”
“I like this. I just got a new drink.” As she takes another sip, her eyes stay glued on me and she sways to the music again. “Please tell me you dance.”
“With you, I will,” I admit.
“Good answer. My song is in the queue. Not the next one but the one after that. Let’s take these to the table,” she says while raising her glass.
When she turns to trek to the table, I take a gulp of my drink then follow her. One of those popular line dancing songs is playing now and the dance floor is packed. Lab and Rini are actually out there.
At the table, I pull out a chair for her but she shakes her head and doesn’t sit. When I sit down, she eases onto my left leg. Her scent ass scent fills my nose and I inhale her. Then I wrap an arm around her and rest my hand on her thigh. After adjusting, she turns to face me.
“Do you expect me to do that?” I ask, nodding toward Lab and Rini.
She smiles then laughs. “Not at all because I can’t. Well, I mean I probably can if I learned one. My song doesn’t require specific steps. Just a man and a woman.”
“Bet, ’cause ay, I’m not built for that line shit.”
Her eyebrows furrow then she tilts her head to the side slightly. “Tell me what you are built for cowboy? Your promo sheets don’t reveal too much.”
“There’s not too much to tell. I’m simple. I grew up in Diamond Falls, spent some of my summers here with my cousin but never really got into ranching. I actually hated that shit when I was young so I tried to find my own way. Young and dumb and fucked up. Did some dumb shit and ended up doing a bid,” I say, putting all of my shit out here.
I’m feeling the hell out of her but if she’s going to rock with me, she needs to know the real me. I peer into her beautiful eyes and just like they’ve done since our first encounter, her eyes don’t waver. She’s staring back, judgment free.
“A bid for what?”
“Possession with intent. I did four years. I’ve been out for three.” Her eyes are still glued to me and still, they are judgment free. She’s curious though so I answer all of her questions.
“You done with that life?”
“No doubt. I can’t even see it anymore. The one thing I hated as a lil jit saved me. I started traveling with Lab while he competed and learned I can ride a horse and rope cattle.”
“Um, you act like you’re not ranked. I say you ride and rope good as hell. Especially now that I know you haven’t been doing this as long as your competition. That’s amazing,” she says sincerely.
“You’re amazing.”
She smiles then takes a big sip from her drink, almost finishing it. After placing it on the table, she drapes her arm around my neck. “Thank you,” she says.
“For what?”
“For telling me. You didn’t have to.”
“Yeah I did. We can’t take this thing between us to the next level if we don’t know about each other.”
“And what’s the next level?”
“In my mind, I see you on me and me on you.”
“And that’s it?”
“Nawl, but it’s a good ass start.”
“If that’s the next level, what’s the final level? Wait… Is there one?”
“Of course.”
“Before we talk about that, let me say this. Whatever happens or doesn’t happen with us next, Jaxson Boots is sponsoring you. Let’s clear the business before pleasure.” She nods and I do too.
“Cleared. Now, the pleasure. There are levels to a relationship and I’m trying to get through them all with you. I can fuck anybody, Quinn. It’s the rodeo. I have buckles. You know how this shit goes. But it just ain’t about that with you.” I lean in closer to ensure none of my next words get lost in the music. “Be very clear, I fa sho’ want to be blessed with the opportunity to hear you scream my name. But I want to hold you afterwards and kiss your lips then look into yo’ pretty face the next day, and day after that, and the next one after that. Levels.”
“I like that.” She smiles then adds, “The levels.”
“And what about the me on you and you on me?”
“You said that’s the next level, right?” She inches closer to me and our lips meet. Softly, she pecks mine. “But first, we dance. That’s my song.”
The beat drops and the music slows. She relieves my hand of my drink. After placing my glass on the table, she grabs my hand and stands. While holding it, she leads me to the dance floor. We stop next to Lab and Rini and she drapes her arms around my neck. I guess her favorite part starts because her head falls back and she and Rini sing it together, loudly, with too much emotion.
“’Cause I’m drunk off love and I can’t get off of you!”
With a huge smile on her pretty face, she lifts her head back up then takes my hat off. After placing it back on mine, she moves my hands to her ass, closes the little space between us, and sways to the music. We dance body to body, eyes locked, while she sings random parts of her song. We stay like this through this song and another one. When the first line dancing song that was on when we entered starts again, she stops moving.
“I’m going to the restroom. When I come back, I’ll be ready to go. We have a level to accomplish tonight.”
When she pecks my lips this time, I grip her back and caress it before planting more pecks on her lips. “I can’t wait to do this all over your body. Hurry up.”
I release her and watch as she walks with Rini to the restroom. Damn!