Twins For The Bull Rider. April Arrington
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before his brother got a chance to cut into him.
Dominic stretched around her and touched the back of her hand with his palm. “Ma’am, you’re not really getting anywhere—”
“I appreciate your offer but I’m doing just fine, thank you.” She puffed a short strand of golden hair out of her face and glared up at him.
Damn. Those cornflower-blue eyes could bring a man to his knees. Or rip a gaping wound in his chest, which seemed to be her preference at the moment. He sprang to action as the candy machine took a sharp swing toward the boys.
“Now, look,” he gritted, wrapping both arms around her trim waist to straighten the glass bowl, “this thing’s about on its last leg—”
“I’m aware of that. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be in this predicament.” She shoved her hip into his gut as the machine tottered on its stand.
“Y’all need some help?” A voice prompted from behind.
“No.”
“Yes.” Her shout outweighed his.
Dominic threw an apologetic look over his shoulder to find Sheila, a waitress he’d gotten to know too well on his last visit home, watching with trepidation.
“Well, Dom,” Sheila squealed. She slapped her notepad against her apron, her gaze dropping south. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
Her stare penetrated the denim stretched over his backside. Yep. That night was high up on his list of regrets.
“Good to see you, Sheila,” Dominic said, politeness spurring the lie.
He winced as an elbow thrust into his ribs, and turned to growl, “Let go and let me help you.”
“You let go.”
The words had barely escaped her mouth when he heard a sharp snap. She crashed back into his chest, toppling them both to the floor. Dominic had a split second of warning to roll her body under his before the candy-filled globe crashed at their side scattering glass and jawbreakers around them.
Yelps from the boys punctuated the sudden silence of the diner.
“Oh, Aunt Cissy, you broke it.” One boy clapped his hands to his cheeks.
“I told you she was gonna break it.” The other smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“You all right?” Dominic rasped, flexing his hand against the back of her head.
Her soft hair brushed his palm as she nodded. The tight press of her breasts against his chest sent a wave of heat through him. Clearing his throat, he surveyed her flushed face. Her blue eyes widened and her lush lips trembled.
Dominic bit back a grin. She sure packed a wallop for such a tiny thing. Almost more than a few bulls he’d sat on recently. Except she was a helluva lot prettier. And a damned deal softer.
A subsequent crack issued from the remaining half of the machine. A metal piece banged to the floor and a rush of quarters poured out.
“She really broke it,” the smug twin muttered with a disapproving shake of his head.
Dominic shifted his weight and rose to a kneeling position. The crack and crush of glass and candy erupted under each of his movements. Brushing debris off his boots, he proceeded to throw out a hand as the more outspoken twin moved toward them.
“Stay back,” Dominic directed. “There’s too much glass.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Sheila clamped a hand to her ample chest. “That thing should’ve been replaced a long time ago.”
Dominic opened his mouth to speak but the curvy bundle beneath him beat him to it.
“No, it was my fault.” Issuing a soft apology, she pushed up on her elbows and made to rise.
“Wait.” Dominic eyed the smooth skin of her thighs and calves. “You’re gonna cut yourself.”
Against his better judgment, he wrapped his arms around her again, obtained a firm foundation with his feet and lifted her up against his chest. He followed the shaky point of her finger to a nearby booth.
“Th-thanks,” she stammered, brushing his hands away when they lingered a moment too long.
Nodding, he took refuge in assisting Sheila to sweep up the piles of broken glass and crushed candy.
Well, damn. Twenty minutes from home, he’d been intent upon tossing a hot meal in his stomach, recovering from his last tour on the circuit and bolstering the courage to dig his feet into the dirt of his family’s ranch again.
Instead, here he was, cleaning up a woman’s mess. Something he’d been very careful to avoid over the years. So much for doing the right thing.
The back of his neck prickled, alerting him to the fact that the boys still observed him with interest. The soft hush of whispers and the shuffling of small feet around him solidified his suspicions.
“Hey, mister.”
Dominic stilled his rough sweeping to look down. The more outspoken boy, who he recalled was named Kayden, barely reached his waist but jutted his chin out and eyed him with uncertainty.
“You a real cowboy?” he posed with all the seriousness of a sheriff.
A smile quirked Dominic’s lips. “I’ve been accused of it before.”
“He looks like one,” Kayden’s replica informed him in a stage whisper. “He’s got a hat and boots.”
Kayden pondered this for a moment, roving his gaze over Dominic once more. Locking eyes with him, he countered, “Yeah, but you got a horse?”
“Several,” Dominic returned.
“A rope?” Kayden shot back.
“Yep.”
“A gun?”
“Not on me.” Dominic firmed his features. “They’re dangerous, little man.”
“He ain’t got no dirt on his butt, Kayden,” the other twin exclaimed at his rear. “Real cowboys have dirty butts.”
“Boys,” their aunt shouted from the booth. “Stop that and get over here.”
“Aw, come on, Aunt Cissy. We ain’t never seen one up close before.” Kayden rolled his lips and squinted at her.
“Well, you’ve seen one now, kiddos,” Sheila interjected, dumping the last of the glass in the trash. “Dom here’s not only a real cowboy but he’s the top bull rider in the world. He’s won the PBR championship four years in a row now.” She ran her tongue over her bottom lip and smiled. “First ever to do it. Saw you on TV, Dom. You looked great.”
Dominic issued a halfhearted smile. A scoff emerged from the direction of the booth. Turning, he watched the blonde blush and tilt her chin higher.
“That where you got this?” Kayden popped a fist into his belt buckle, coming dangerously close to sensitive parts of his anatomy.
Dominic recoiled. “Whoa, there.”
“That’s it.” Their aunt’s blue eyes spat sparks. “Get over here now.” She jabbed a finger toward the floor and pinned the boys with a stern look. They reluctantly complied, dragging their feet over to hop up beside her in the booth.
“I’m really sorry about this.” Sheila divested him of the broom and passed her eyes over each of them. “Meal’s on the house. Dom, what can I get you?”
He opened his mouth to respond when Kayden piped, “We got a triple cheeseburger. That’s what you should get.”
He laughed at the boy’s authoritative tone. It’d been a long time since he’d been around a kid. He forgot how lively they could make a mundane event.
“Sounds