Ft- bull rider!matt x buckle bunny!reader
She found him behind the barn, lit only by the soft glow of a cigarette and the moon.
His hat was tipped back, jeans dusty, flannel sleeves rolled to his elbows. His jaw flexed slightly as he exhaled smoke into the cool night air. He looked like he belonged in some outlaw country song â the kind that played slow, full of grit, heat, and things left unsaid.
She shouldnât be here. Not alone. Not looking for him.
But thatâs exactly where her boots carried her.
âYouâre not supposed to smoke that close to the stalls,â she called out.
Matt didnât turn right away. Just took one last drag, flicked the cigarette to the dirt, and crushed it under his boot.
âDidnât know you were on barn patrol now,â he said, voice rough from dust and tobacco.
She stepped closer, arms crossed tight over her chest. âIâm not. But I saw you sneak off like you were hiding.â
Her brow lifted. âFrom what?â
Matt looked up at her then. Eyes shadowed under his hat, but even in the dark, she could see the way they held her there. Steady. Heavy.
The air shifted. Slower. Warmer.
She shouldâve said something sarcastic. Shouldâve teased him like she always did, played the part â pretty face, tight jeans, lip gloss and bravado. But something about his tone pulled the edge off her tongue.
âYou alright?â she asked instead.
Matt chuckled, but there was no humor in it. âYeah. Just tired of pretending I am.â
She hesitated, then leaned against the barn beside him, their shoulders a few inches apart.
âYou donât strike me as the pretending type.â
He shrugged. âYou ride bulls long enough, you get good at hiding what hurts.â
She glanced sideways at him. âEven from yourself?â
They stood like that for a while. Silence humming with unspoken things. The distant sound of laughter from the rodeo afterparty filtered through the trees, but here â it felt like another world.
She shifted slightly, toe scuffing the dirt. âYou know, I pegged you for the cocky type.â
Matt snorted. âYouâre not wrong.â
âIâm cocky. But Iâm not fake.â
She raised an eyebrow. âThat so?â
He turned to face her fully now, one hand braced against the barn wall behind her, just above her shoulder.
And just like that, the air got heavier.
âI donât play games,â he said.
She laughed, a low, breathy sound. âThatâs funny. Because youâve been playing with me since the first time we met.â
Matt tilted his head. âNah. Iâve just been waitinâ.â
âFor you to stop pretending like you donât want me, too.â
Just enough to let him know he wasnât wrong.
She tried to hold his gaze, but his eyes â dark and sharp â made her feel stripped down, like he could see right through the red lipstick and charm she used to keep most men off balance.
Matt didnât move closer.
The space between them pulsed like a live wire.
âThink youâre pretty sure of yourself,â she said, quieter now.
âOnly when Iâm right.â
âAnd what makes you think Iâm not just another buckle bunny looking for a good time?â
Matt leaned in a little â not touching, but close enough she could smell the leather on his jacket and the faint smoke on his skin.
âBecause you look at me like I make you nervous,â he said. âAnd girls like you donât get nervous easy.â
She swallowed hard, but stood her ground.
âNo,â he said. âJust an observation.â
She shouldâve walked away. Said something snarky, flipped her hair and left him wanting. That was her thing â her armor.
Because part of her did want him.
Not the idea of him. Not the title. Him.
And that scared the hell out of her.
âYou always this intense?â she asked softly.
Matt looked down at her, expression unreadable. âOnly when something feels real.â
He leaned just an inch closer. âDo you want it to be?â
Her heart beat too loud in her chest, and every stubborn part of her wanted to walk away just to prove she could. But her fingers itched to reach for him, and her mouth suddenly ached to taste what itâd been teasing for weeks.
She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him into her.
It was heat and frustration, want and defiance, all tangled together in one reckless moment. His hands found her waist, grounding her. Hers twisted in his collar like sheâd fall if she let go.
And maybe she wouldâve.
Because it felt too good. Too easy. Too right.
When they pulled apart, breathless, she didnât step back.
They just stood there, forehead to forehead, breathing in the space they created.
âThis is stupid,â she whispered.
âGonna mess everything up.â
She exhaled, chest heaving. âDo it again.â
Matt grinned. âYes, maâam.â
âËâĄâĄ Divider by @/bernardsbendystraws
A/n:they are back! Also Iâm back from a little break:)
Rodeo sweetheart Masterlist!
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