Two To Wrangle (Hotel Rodeo #2)(33)

When she arrived back at the bar a few minutes later, she found the trio of cowboys surrounded by an entire buckle bunny brigade. Monica watched with interest as a blonde flaunting double Ds in a low-cut tee decided to get up close and personal with Ty, who hadn’t yet noticed her return. Bracing her hands on Ty’s knees, the blonde brazenly moved into the V of his thighs. She said something as her gaze drifted to his lap. Monica wondered how long it would take for Ty to extricate himself. He didn’t seem in any big hurry. Was he enjoying the attention?

“Is this typical?” Monica asked Gabby.

“After a ride? Oh yeah.” Gabby laughed. “There will be plenty of boots knocking in this place tonight.”

“If her hands creep much farther north she’ll be giving Ty a hand job,” Monica muttered.

“He’s not into it,” Gabby reassured. “Even in his player days, Ty never went for the easy ones. He’s just too much of a gentleman to tell her straight out to piss off. Give him a minute, and he’ll pass her off to someone else.”

It didn’t take long before he said something and gave a nod in Monica’s direction. The blonde cast her an evil eye that Monica returned with a tight smile. Seconds later, Blondie gave a toss of her head and moved on down the bar to wrap her arms around Kade.

Monica took a thoughtful sip of her drink. Was this what she had to look forward to in a relationship with Ty? If so, was she secure enough to handle it?

Coming to her side, Ty remarked dryly, “Thanks for the rescue.”

“You didn’t look like you wanted one.”

Ty mumbled a curse under his breath. “I don’t do shit tests, Monica.”

“What do you mean?” she asked with feigned innocence.

“If it bugged you that she had her hands on me, you could have just come on over and staked your claim.”

“Why should I have to?”

“Maybe I wanted you to. In your boots, I damn well would have done it.”

“Haven’t you already had enough ego stroking for the night, Ty? Or maybe that’s not the kind of stroking you were looking for. Blondie over there looked ready to give you any kind you wanted.”

“I don’t give a shit about Blondie. I thought I made myself clear tonight. I only want you. Either you want me too or you don’t. You’d better make up your mind ’cause I’m not playing these games anymore.”

Monica searched his face, considering all that this evening had revealed about Ty Morgan. The man had more principle than she’d ever given him credit for. Although he’d never denied being a player, he played an honest game. He didn’t bring women to his home. He didn’t make declarations of love. He didn’t make promises or commitments, nor did he ask for them.

But he’d done all of that with her. Ty had shown too much integrity, too much heart to warrant her mistrust. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry, Ty. You don’t deserve this. It’s been a really rough night for both of us.”

“That it has,” he agreed.

“I know you need to be here, but I don’t. I think I’ll go upstairs now.”

“I’ll follow you in a bit.” He added with a lecherous grin, “Then maybe you can apologize to me proper-like.”

“No, Ty. Not tonight.” She shook her head with a rueful smile. “I need to be alone for a while. I have a lot to think about—the bull riding. . . the hotel . . . us. I know you need an answer from me soon, but I can’t give you one until I’ve had some time.”

He glanced at his watch. “All right, but don’t take too long about it. Time’s in mighty short supply.”



Ty watched her go, wondering if he’d already f*cked up. He didn’t want to lose Monica, but they were going nowhere fast if she couldn’t accept him for what he was.

Zac came up beside him, following his gaze with a fateful shake of his head. “Never thought I’d see you with another one like that.”

“What do you mean?” Ty asked.

“Big city. Big money. Didn’t exactly pan out for you the first time around.”

“That’s where the similarity starts and ends. Monica’s nothing like Delaney.”

“If you say so,” Zac replied with a smirk and raised his glass to his lips.

“I mean it, Zac. There’s no comparison between ’em. Monica’s a successful investment banker who needs nothing from me. Delaney was a beauty queen who stole half my ranch.”

Zac raised his hand with a black look. “Look, ol’ boy. That ain’t how it was, and you know it.”

“All right. I admit I brought that shit on myself, but that doesn’t give her the right to rub my nose in it for the rest of my life. You know that’s what she’s trying to do with the bucking bulls, don’t you? She sent two to the futurity this year and says she has a dozen more prospects for next year. She has shit-tons of money to put into a breeding program. I didn’t. She thinks I never wanted the ranch. That’s not true, but ranching takes money. That’s part of the reason I stayed on the road as long as I did. I’d hoped to win enough to keep the place going.”

“But now it’s done,” Zac said. “You’re here and she’s there. What’s the problem?”