Jade Buchanan

Bull Rider by Jade Buchanan

Wanna ride the Bull? — Wes Scott’s life is turned inside out by the most enticing cowboy he’s ever met.

Radio DJ Wesley Scott is celebrating his new posting with a Welcome to Canada party thrown by his co-workers, but he can’t keep his eyes off the mechanical bull in the corner or the tall, dark and burly cowboy beside it. Isaac “Bull” Fintan -- former bull rider and current rancher -- captures Wes’ attention with his scrolling tattoos, swaggering walk and smoky drawl, but it’s the invitation to a private party-for-two that has the Brit panting for more.

Coming August 18th from Total-E-Bound along with stories by Willa Okati, Carol Lynne, Sedonia Guillone, JP Bowie and Jane Davitt.

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He was on his fourth glass of water and it tasted just as bad as the first. Luckily, he was totally getting off on people watching. He’d seen everyone from eighteen year olds to eighty year olds. Most of them were milling around, but a few adventurous souls were out on the dance floor, giving him great pleasure by watching them. Man, some of those people really couldn’t dance.

“No, I’m completely serious!” Becca grinned, leaning forward on the opposite side of the table. “She couldn’t sit down for a week without groaning afterward.”

“What are we talking about here?” Jayne bounced up from the dance floor, leaning on his shoulder and putting her arm around him. She’d had more than a few drinks already and she was definitely a friendly drunk.

Wes frowned, feeling strange for a moment. It felt like someone was watching him, a sensation that was distinctly uncomfortable. He shrugged it off, tuning back in to Becca and her bull riding story.

“Marcy rode the bull the last time she was here and she ended up with huge black bruises all up and down the insides of her thighs from clenching it so hard! Can you believe it?”

Wes grinned, imagining their straight-laced boss riding the mechanical bull set up across the dance floor from where they were sitting. He’d been watching the people get up on it all night. Something he’d sure as hell never do, but he had to admire the people who tried it.

The machine was supposed to simulate the way a bull would move but it didn’t look like it was too comfortable. The thing bucked and turned nonstop, and nearly everyone that had gotten up on it had ended up flying off arse over tit within seconds.

Snorting, Jayne leaned further over onto Wes. “That’s nothing. Tony went on it down in Montana and actually held his beer through the whole ride. Said he was bucked off and damned if he didn’t spill a single drop from the bottle.”

“Bollocks. No way would anyone let you bring a beer up on one of those.” Becca frowned.

“I swear, it’s true! This was in Montana, remember. They do things different down there.”

“Right, and you’re going to tell me Tony wasn’t completely arseholed? I bet he was too drunk to even remember the night.”

Wes rolled his eyes at the banter between the two women. The strange sensation came to him again, he felt like he was being watched. He finally looked over to his left, across the dance floor to where the mechanical bull was bucking off it’s latest victim.

A man was staring at him, just about boring holes through him in fact. He was big, towering over the people around him. A green tee shirt stretched over his mammoth chest, and his burly arms were crossed. Scrolling thick black tattoos were visible on his forearms and what there was to see of his biceps.

Wes swallowed. Hard.

The man was wearing a pair of jeans, and his thighs practically strained the material. Wes wondered if he found it hard to buy jeans that big. Christ, this guy was something else. So why was he glaring at Wes?

Wes turned around, trying to discover if there was something else the guy might be looking at.

Jayne took that moment to burst out laughing, and the man’s frown deepened. Ah, that explained it. The guy probably wanted to get with Jayne and was pissed because Wes was sitting with her. Wasn’t that just his luck? Why were all the good looking guys married or straight?

At least, the good looking guys that were Wes’ type were all straight. Call him crazy, but there was just something about a big, burly, motorcycle-riding, muscle-bound, dominant top that plain did it for Wes. Unfortunately, on the off chance there were any gay big, burly motorcycle-riding, muscle-bound, dominant tops in the area, they probably didn’t go for the scholarly, former swim captain type of guy that Wes was. Especially considering he wasn’t from around here.

It was a crying shame. Really.

It wasn’t that he was ugly or anything. He was just pretty average in both height and looks. In his opinion, of course. Although, he hadn’t really had anyone express differently. He just wasn’t the type of guy that got mooned over. It was probably the dishwasher dark blond hair and plain brown eyes that did it. Or the fact that while he may be in good shape, he wasn’t the tallest of blokes.

Sighing, Wes stood up, shaking off Jayne’s arm. “I’m off to find the little boy’s room.”

Becca waved him off, turning to talk to Jayne. The other woman giggled, leaping up to hug Wes and place a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

Wes chuckled, finally getting out of her hold. Manoeuvring through the packed crowd, he did his best to avoid any collisions. Within a few minutes he was beside the mechanical bull, and the men’s washroom set up behind it. He stopped to let a couple walk in front of him. Shaking his head at the man stumbling around and hanging onto his date, Wes had to hold back his laughter. Why did people insist on getting fall-down drunk in public?

Heat seared his back. He was pulled in tight to the body behind him by a rough grip on his hip. Wes gasped, trying to get out of the way.

“Wanna ride the Bull?” A man whispered in his ear, his breath ghosting over Wes’ neck.

Wes went still, shuddering when the grip at his hip tightened. He glanced over his shoulder, only to find the man from before standing behind him. This close to the other man it was very apparent how handsome he was. Not Hollywood standards handsome, but just the type to entice Wes. Lowered lids over brown eyes so dark they appeared black, firm lips, strong cheekbones.

Wes was held so tightly to the bigger man there was barely a breath between them. He hastily looked around but it was so packed around the mechanical bull that no one would notice how close they were. Cowboys weren’t really known for being accepting of two men together. He’d watched Brokeback Mountain just like every other happy gay boy.