[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"No. No, his lady is having another baby. She's swollen." Bitchy. Snarly.
"Ah..." Balta propped up against the side of the bed, pulling him up close, so he draped over
Balta's heavy thighs. "Have you ever wanted that?"
"Babies? No. No, Balta. I have sisters. I've seen what happens." It was horrifying.
Laughing out loud, Balta squeezed him hard. "Sim, namorado. I have two, huh? Scary."
"Sim, sim." Besides, he had his life, his Balta, his little piece of land. He was happy.
"We'll just be old grumpy men together, huh? I'll go first." He had to laugh at that silly smile,
Balta looking happy with life.
"Mmhmm." He could be old with his Balta.
Amorzinhos - 27
Chapter Six
Balta watched Raul Araripe dance after he made his ride. The man had some hip action that
Balta just couldn't match anymore, not with his sore back and stiff lower body. Not that he
couldn't hold his own, but Raul was sexy as Hell, huh? Nice, too. And Joaquim liked Raul a lot.
Balta could tell.
Sometimes a man needed a little nice. Heaven knew, he was not a nice man. Joaquim was, and
sometimes, Balta knew, Joaquim needed someone less like Balta and more like him. Maybe he'd
have to cultivate Raul and Joaquim's friendship a bit. Maybe he'd push a little. Just a little. He
liked the look of them together, anyway.
Balta met Joa's eyes, smiling as he made his way up through the throng of hats that lined the
back of the chutes. It was almost Joa's turn to ride. "Hey, there. You almost ready, huh?"
"Sim." Joa bent and stretched, bouncing at the waist. "You pulling my rope?"
Nodding, he moved closer, slapping his hand against Joa's vest. "You all put together right?
Don't want you stripping down like last week." The week before, in Cincinnati, Joa had lost his
vest, his belt buckle, and half his shirt.
"At least I didn't make a tent, eh? Like some of them?"
He knew just who Joa meant and his eyes slid to Raul. Raul made a well-pitched tent. "I thought
you said you weren't looking, Joa?" Balta grinned, letting his approval show.
"I wasn't. It was on the TV." Joaquim's cheeks went red hot.
"Ah. Uh-huh. Sure." Hal Galland nodded, the chute opening, the crowd going crazy. One more
rider to go, so it was time to get Joaquim in the chute. A blue shirt caught his eye, and Balta
jerked his head at Raul, who was back behind the chutes.
"Hey, Raul! Come help me, huh?"
"Balta!" Joaquim's blush got deeper, but his lover found a smile for Raul, a nod. "Thank you,
huh?"
"Hey!" Raul's sudden smile would light up the entire arena. Balta approved. He stepped over the
rails to pull rope, and let Raul hold Joaquim in place when he slid down to cover the bull. In the
chute, Joa was all business. The smile was gone, focus on the bull, the rope. The bull was wild,
throwing Joaquim into Raul's arms over and over. Balta didn't let his mind stray from business to
contemplate the pretty of that until Joa was out, counting down the seconds as the bull bucked
like crazy.
Joaquim started sliding, but corrected, settling in and even spurring the last two seconds.
Amorzinhos - 28
Balta shouted, pounding Raul on the shoulder. "Sim, Joa! Sim!"
It was gratifying that Raul bounced and shouted, too.
Joaquim yanked his rope, tumbling to the arena floor and coming up all smiles. Dillon ran up and
they started dancing, the crowd going wild.
That was the last rope he'd pull tonight. Balta smiled at Raul, pounding his shoulder again. "You
done for the night?"
Raul nodded, that smile lighting up again. "Sim, sim."
"Then come on. We'll go meet Joa in the back, huh? Congratulate him."
He got an odd look, but Raul only nodded, following along behind him, wading through the rest
of the bull riders.
Joaquim took some time, but ended up in the dressing room, beaming and bouncing, shirt half
undone.
Grabbing him in a half hug, Balta laughed out loud, Joa's smile infectious. "You're losing your
shirt, Joaquim! I told you to make sure you were all buttoned up."
"Sim. Sim. That old bastard bucked hard enough to tear them all off."
"Good ride," Raul said, coming to clap Joa on the back. "Thought he had you, but you did right."
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]