Temptation: Reckless Desires (Blue Moon Saloon Book 2) by Anna Lowe Read Free Book Online Page A

to the injured man’s side as medics sprinted across the arena with a stretcher. He crouched over the fallen bull rider, then backed away to give the medical team space.
    “God, it doesn’t look good,” the event announcer said in a hush.
    The bullfighter backed up for a good ten feet before turning toward the camera. After two more steps, he collapsed to one knee. He spent a long time there before the other two bullfighters came along, slapped him on the back, and pulled him to his feet.
    A tall man with sandy hair.
    Holy shit.
    Cole. That was Cole, being pulled to his feet.
    The television switched back to this year’s announcer, who shook his head sadly. “Real heroes, those bullfighters. The doctors did what they could, but a broken neck is a broken neck…”
    She shut her eyes.
    “Scenes that will haunt all of us…” the announcer said.
    She turned to the saloon doors, which were still flapping from Cole’s silent exit. She shook her head. Cole…
    A second later, she darted outside, following him.



Chapter Five

    Cole strode down the sidewalk, barely aware of the space in front of him. His ears rang, and his nose tickled with the scent of angry bull. Instead of the street, all he saw was the arena. All in his memory, but all so clear.
    He’s down! He’s down!
the announcer had screamed.
    He winced at the memory of the fallen rider, lying in the dirt. Not getting up. Never getting up again.
    God, if only he hadn’t talked to the kid earlier that day. The rider, A.J., was a rookie on the bull-riding scene. Cocky on the outside, nervous as hell on the inside because he’d drawn the rankest bull in the lineup. Cole knew; he’d seen the kid an hour before his ride, hunched over the bathroom sink, staring at nothing.
    “You got this, kid.” He’d opened his big mouth, slapped the kid on the back, and shot him a you-can-do-this smile.
    Jesus, he’d sent the guy to his death.
    The kid forced a stiff nod and echoed his words. “I got this.”
    When the kid’s turn came up, Cole could see the same nervous twitch in his eye. The kind of anxiety a rider couldn’t afford to carry into the arena.
    One of the handlers at the chute gave the kid a reassuring look that said,
Nothing wrong with pulling out.
But the crowd was cheering, the bull snorting — everything was ready for the rider’s eight seconds of fame.
    And for whatever reason, the kid looked to Cole. Right at him with eyes that begged,
What the hell do I do?
    Cole gave the kid a thumbs-up that said,
You got this.
    He might as well have filled in a death certificate, because the guy had nodded, mounted up, and seconds later…
    He watched the bull twist and throw the rider. Heard the crack as the kid landed on his neck. The guy was still alive when Cole got to him, after the bull had finally been driven away. Still wheezing, still wide-eyed with panic. Still totally limp.
    “You’ll be okay,” Cole had lied. Twice. Then he’d backed away and let the medics in, because they could make a miracle happen, right?
    He shook his head as he stomped down the sidewalk. No miracle. No happy end. And the worst part was everyone insisting on patting him on the back as if he’d truly helped.
    No, the worst was the letter he’d gotten from the kid’s mother a few weeks later. A goddamn thank-you letter he’d burned the first chance he got, though the words were permanently seared into his memory.
    Thank you for doing everything you could to help my son…
    Christ. If only she knew.
    He fumbled with the key to his truck and glared at his own haggard reflection in the window. Some fucking hero. Some fucking help.
    Footsteps rushed up behind him, but he reached for the door handle without turning.
    “Cole.”
    For the first time in weeks, hearing Janna’s voice didn’t turn everything inside him to mush.
    “Cole!”
    He stayed still, gripping the door handle so hard, his knuckles turned white.
    When she patted him on the back, part of him wanted to give in