Excerpt of Montana Destiny by R.C. Ryan

When the bullhorn signaled that he’d met the qualifying time, Wyatt struggled to gather his wits, waiting until the bull was right alongside the gate before he freed his hand, cutting himself loose. He flew through the air and over the corral fence, landing in the dirt at Marilee Trainor’s feet.

“My God! Don’t move.” She was beside him in the blink of an eye, kneeling in the dirt, probing for broken bones.

Wyatt lay perfectly still, enjoying the feel of those clever, practiced hands moving over him. When she moved from his legs to his torso and arms, he opened his eyes to narrow slits and watched her from beneath lowered lids.

She was the perfect combination of beauty and brains. He could see the wheels turning as she did a thorough exam. Even her brow, furrowed in concentration, couldn’t mar that flawless complexion. Her eyes, the color of palest milk chocolate, were narrowed in thought. Strands of red hair dipped over one cheek, giving her a sultry look.

Satisfied that nothing was broken, she sat back on her heels, feeling a moment of giddy relief. That was when she realized he was staring.

She caught the smug grin on his lips. Her tone hardened. “I get it. A showboat. I don’t have time to waste on some silver-tongued actor.”

She started to stand but his hand shot out, catching her by the wrist. “Sorry. That was really cheesy, but I couldn’t resist teasing you.”

She stared down at his hand. Despite his smile she could feel the strength in his grip. If he wanted to, he could no doubt break her bones with a single snap. But she wasn’t concerned with his strength; only with the heat his touch was generating. She felt the tingle of warmth all the way up her arm. It alarmed her more than she cared to admit.

“Want to grab a bite to eat? After the last rider is done, of course.”

“Sorry. I’ll be heading home.”

“Why, thanks for the invitation. I’d be happy to join you. We could take along pizza from one of the vendors.”

She looked him up and down. “I go home alone.”

“Sorry to hear it.” He gave her a dangerous, heart- stopping grin. “You’re missing out on a really fun evening.”