The Rider's Dangerous Embrace (An Interracial Bad Boy Romance Story) by Nicole Jordan Page B

anybody, and if we can work for it, we will.”
    “What about you?”
    “I train here. I work here. But I don’t, didn’t, want to be beholden to anyone. I’ve been working on them for a bit myself, getting paid, and using that to help pay for the training facility. But I work on the grounds too. It lets them feed their families, pay their rent when rodeos ain’t winnin’ the bread. Thomas and John did us a solid. But lately…” Luke trailed off.
    “But lately what?”
    “Prices have been going up and wages have been going down. It doesn’t bode well for the riders’ moods.”
    “I never signed off on that.”
    “Yeah, well. Who did?” He shrugged and before she could reply he continued. “It doesn’t matter. They’ll be polite, but don’t expect friendly. And no. It wasn’t Thomas who signed that through, I already talked to him about it. Said it came from higher up.”
    She was the higher up. Why would he say that? Apparently someone had been taking liberties. She made a mental note to start a chain of inquiries. She would personally see that it was reversed as soon as possible.
    Luke pulled into a long driveway on the left. She could see a building in the distance, it was well groomed with a nice landscaped look. It had to be the office. Beyond that were metal corrals, filled with practice bulls and riders.
    There were men everywhere; this early in the morning her grounds were teaming with people moving about. Their day began long before anyone in a white collar. And it lasted longer. The contrast to the gentle morning she witnessed just minutes before was stark.
    Luke swung his truck right up to the office. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t help but look over at him, trying to catch glimpses of him when he wasn’t looking.
    “Well, Rodeo Princess, you ready to meet your subjects?”
    She rolled her eyes and pushed herself away from him one final time, using a great deal of her strength. Except there was no resistance. She flung herself across the cab and hit the door with the force of her push. His playful smile returned. That man was making her crazy and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to fling herself into his arms and kiss him or punch him.
    Jayda straightened herself and refused to let him get a rise out of her. Opening her door, she slid out and jumped to the ground, her boots hitting the soft dirt. Her body bounced, each curve moving with her. It was same dirt her father’s boots must have hit dozens of times. She felt the urge to straighten the hat that she wasn’t wearing, just like he always did and march into that office.
    Instead, she sucked in a breath.
    “So, my fearless leader, where first?” She stood just a little too close and breathed him in. It had the same intoxicating effect as it had last night. The same musky scent wafted up to her nose and sent surges down her body. Another reminder of last night’s interlude. Damn olfactory nerves.
    “The office. Got someone here you need to meet.”

The men watched her. Their eyes were glued as she walked along the pathway. It was unsettling. They were oblivious to who she was, of course, she knew that. They knew John had a daughter, but none of them knew who she was. Or that she was black.
    To them she was just a beautiful woman swaying and moving as she walked, all they knew was that she was a distraction. But if they couldn’t keep their eyes in the sockets, whose fault was that? Not hers.
    She set her jaw as one of those distracted men met her eyes. He was older, early forties, a bit of gray grabbing at his temples and his goatee, but not a wrinkle in sight from her point of view. Maybe because as her mother always said “Black don’t crack”. This man was a handsome shade of Mocha that she gravitated to.
    She felt the urge to inspect closer but stayed herself. She stopped following Luke, her eyes locked on the salt and pepper hottie.
    Damn, are they all hot? Her thoughts were always getting herself in trouble. She