Beauty and the Bull Rider (Hotel Rodeo #3)(33)

All of a sudden the idea of having his baby seemed far too close to taking a dive off a cliff, and every hour spent with him pushed her a little closer to the edge. There was no way in hell she could have sex with him and not become emotionally committed. When he pulled her onto his lap for another long, dizzying kiss, she realized it was a moot point. It was already too late.





CHAPTER NINE


“Here you go, Mr. McDaniel.” The nurse handed Zac two plastic containers labeled with his identification number. “This one is for your urine specimen and the other is for your semen. Be sure to give us the urine first,” she continued. “After that, be certain to wash your penis before ejaculation. We don’t want anything to contaminate the specimen.”

Zac glanced around with a wince. She might as well have announced it over a loud speaker. The clinic wasn’t that busy, but it was impossible not to be overheard.

The nurse led him to a sterile-looking examination room complete with white paper table cover. “There’s a private bathroom through that door. The rest of the instructions are right here. I think you’ll find them self-explanatory.” She handed him a printed sheet.

Zac glanced down at the instructions in his hands.

1. Pass urine.

2. Wash hands and penis with soap to reduce the risk of contaminating the specimen.

3. Rinse away the soap.

4. Dry hands and penis with a fresh disposable towel.

5. Ejaculate into a sterile container.



“Any questions?” the nurse asked.

He looked at the tile ceiling and blew out a breath. “Nope. I think I got it. Thanks.” In truth, the instructions were a little vague on what should happen between steps number four and number five.

As if reading his mind, the nurse nodded to a cabinet in the corner with a TV and DVD player. “If you need any . . . er . . . assistance, there are some magazines and DVDs in the top drawer. Take as much time as you need.” She departed with a smile.

Zac stared at the closed door and then glowered at the plastic cups. Since walking into the clinic, he’d been stuck with needles and quizzed about everything from his birthplace to his bowel movements. Now that it was finally time to give up the goods, he didn’t know if he was up to the task. Jacking off in the shower was one thing, but this?

He opened the drawer the nurse had indicated and discovered a stack of outdated and rumpled Playboy magazines and a few soft porn flicks. He slammed it shut again.

What he needed was proper motivation. Reminding himself of the end goal—Delaney—Zac inhaled a breath that he released on a stream of expletives and took his cups into the restroom. He filled the first cup easily thanks to the coffee he’d consumed on the drive, but the second proved a bigger challenge. Shutting his eyes, he traveled back three days to the lakeside, with Delaney moaning and writhing as he tongued her. He could almost taste her nectar on his lips. That memory alone was enough to get him stiff. He was just about to take himself in hand when his phone buzzed.

Shit. His eyes snapped open. He cursed himself for forgetting to turn it off. He didn’t need distractions right now. He plucked the phone out of his pocket, intent on ignoring the call until noticing Delaney’s number on the screen. “Zac here,” he answered tersely.

“Zac? It’s Delaney.”

“Ah. Can I call you back in a little bit? You kinda caught me at a bad time.” Literally with his pants down.

“Are you still in Oklahoma?” she asked, ignoring his request.

“Yup. I’m at the clinic in Ardmore. I’m leaving for Vegas as soon as I’m done here.”

“Oh, no, you aren’t!” she replied, sounding pissed as hell. “I need you back here right away, Zac.”

His throat tightened. “What the hell’s happened this time?”

“Your damned bull! That’s what’s happened, or should I say happen ing.”

“I’m not following you.”

“Apparently the horny son of a bitch climbed out of his corral and busted through the fence. He’s right now in my pasture breeding my cows!”

“Holy shit.”

“You’d better come get him. Now, Zac.”

Zac shouldered the phone and zipped up his jeans. “I’m almost two hours away. You do understand that by the time I get there the damage is already gonna be done.”

“I don’t care. I need you to fix this. I had a plan,” she replied tearfully. “I handpicked every bull for my cows and invested over ten grand in frozen semen. Now it’s all blown to hell because of your damned rogue bull!”

“How many did he get to?” Zac asked.

“Who knows? I gave them all hormones a few days ago to bring them into season. It’s a bovine buffet out there.”

She was furious for sure, but Zac had to suppress a chuckle. “Hang tight, sweetheart. I’m on my way. We’ll just have to figure something out when I get there.”

Zac placed the two specimen containers into their respective plastic bags and took them back to the nurses’ station. “Only one?” she asked, brows arched in question.

“Yeah,” Zac grunted. “I got interrupted by a phone call. I gotta leave. Is there any chance I can just bring this back?”

“How far away do you live?” she asked.