Unridden: A Studs in Spurs novel Read Online Free Page B

dissuaded so easily by his vague, evasive answer. “Yeah, I gathered that. So where exactly are you from?”
    He smirked but made no move to end Jenna’s suspense.
    “Texas,” a cocktail waitress answered for him, to the cowboy’s obvious chagrin, before she added, “and I need another pitcher of beer with three cold mugs.”
    The unhappy Texan went to fill the pitcher, and Jenna took the opportunity to question the waitress further. “He doesn’t happen to know anything about rodeos, does he?”
    The waitress cackled. “Him? Nah. Don’t think so. The word is he used to work on the oil rigs.”
    “Oh. Okay. Thanks.” Jenna’s heart fell. Oil rigs. She knew even less about them than horses, so giving her fictional cowboy that profession was out, particularly in light of the Texan bartender’s lack of helpfulness so far.
    The cowboy returned with the waitress’ order, grinning. “Sorry, darlin’, but not all cowboys ride bulls, or even horses for that matter.”
    With a long look that took the man in from the top of his dark head to the tips of his booted toes, Astrid jumped into the conversation. “You must know something about the rodeo. I mean, there are lots of bulls and horses in Texas, right?”
    He laughed, a low, rumbling sound, and Jenna, stifling a groan, watched her friend melt a little bit more over him. The reason Astrid had planned girl’s night out in this testosterone pit was becoming quite apparent. She was on the prowl tonight.
    “I’m sure I know more than the two of you ladies, but no, I don’t know enough to have her quoting me on her little white napkin there.” He hooked a thumb in the direction of Jenna and her pen, which was poised and ready for action above the aforementioned cocktail napkin.
    Criticism of her research style aside, Jenna decided if he knew anything about rodeo, it would be better than what she knew, which was nothing. “What was your name again?”
    “Tex.”
    She raised a brow. “Seriously?”
    “Yup.” Somehow that one syllable became more like three as he drew it out, long and slow.
    “Okay, Tex, I’d be happy to leave you a very generous tip if you’d be willing to give me just a few rodeo details I can use in my book.”
    As Astrid leaned further over the bar like a magnet drawn to a big, tall, sexy hunk of metal, Jenna considered throwing her friend into the bargain along with the tip in exchange for some rodeo facts. She was fairly certain Astrid, looking starry-eyed and practically drooling, wouldn’t mind.
    Tex. Jenna would have to consider naming a side character that. Perhaps Buck Wild could have a best friend.
    The man in question pulled a pen from behind his ear, grabbed another cocktail napkin, and scribbled something. He shoved it across the bar and went to help a customer.
    Astrid slapped one hand down hard onto the bar top and spun to face Jenna. “Oh my God! If he gave you his phone number, I’m going to scream. How come the cute ones always like you best?”
    If that were true, then how come Jenna was alone? Very, very alone. Oh yeah, because all men sucked, that’s why. Even the tall, dark and Texan ones, she was sure.
    Jenna glanced at the napkin in her hand and shook her head. Astrid’s hissy fit was for nothing, because all she’d gotten from Tex was one word.
    Google.
    Hmm, who knew cowboys knew about Internet search engines, even a behemoth like Google? Maybe cowboys weren’t as backwoods or backwards as she had thought.
    Jenna shoved the napkin at her friend, shot a less than friendly glance in Tex’s direction and mumbled, “Smart ass.”
    Already eyeball-deep into a huge crush, Astrid grinned. “Yeah, he is and I think I like it. Damn, I wish all these people would leave him alone so he’d come back.”
    So did Jenna, because she still wasn’t convinced he hadn’t ridden a bull or two himself and if so, she’d get it out of him even if she had to sacrifice Astrid’s dubious virtue to do it.
    With a sigh, Astrid