Mustang: A Rough Romance (Montana Bad Boys Book 3)

by Piper Stone

  “I don’t want to argue with you, Mustang. I am sorry about accusing you, but there is something going on in this town. All I care about are the animals. Okay?”

  I shook my head. “And we’re not going to argue, but that’s not good enough. I have no intention of leaving that dog tonight, so we have plenty of time to talk. Spill it, cause you’re hiding something.”

  “Why? So you can chastise me further, acting as if I don’t know what I’m talking about?”

  “Have you ever thought that maybe I would want to help you?”

  “Fine,” she said in exasperation, her lower lip twitching. “You’re right. Why don’t we get some coffee?”

  “Only if you have something a little stronger to go with it.”

  Her features softened and she almost broke into a smile as she nodded. “I think I can arrange that. Let me make sure the monitor is on.”

  I watched as she moved a sophisticated-looking system toward the dog, positioning a screen directly in front of him. After pressing a few buttons, she seemed satisfied.

  “Now I can keep a watch on his vitals as well as ensure he’s not under any duress.” Danni turned on a lamp, the warm glow providing little more than a nightlight. She was certainly an animal lover. “Come on, Zorro. We have a visitor.”

  She led me back to her house, immediately moving into the small kitchen. Instead of bothering with making coffee, she brought a bottle of whiskey and two glasses back into the living room. “This is all I have, other than wine. Somehow, I don’t take you as a wine lover.” There was a hint of a tease in her voice, a welcome change.

  “You’re right about that.” I studied the fireplace, surprised she didn’t have a fire going.

  She pointed to the overstuffed chair that had seen better days before easing down onto the couch that wasn’t in much better shape, remaining quiet as she poured a hefty amount of liquor in both glasses. I realized her hand was shaking when she pushed a tumbler in my direction.

  “What have you gotten in the middle of?” I asked as quietly as possible.

  “I don’t know for certain any longer. Maybe I’m just overreacting.”

  “Ya think?”

  Danni took a sip of her drink as she huddled on the edge of the seat. “Have you heard about any Ponzi schemes going on around here?”

  “Ponzi schemes. What the hell does that have to do with ranching?” While I’d heard enough, I wanted to hear her take on what she’d learned.

  “There is a rumor that a group of unnamed individuals has formed a corporation for the sole purpose of defrauding their investors, even enlisting their help to garner additional people to come on board.”

  “Hence the reference to a Ponzi scheme.”

  She nodded. “Exactly. They handle a significant portion of their business at these auctions as well as through private sales. There are millions of dollars at stake, some ranchers investing everything they have to try and provide a better life for their families.”

  “I’ll be honest with you. If that kind of thing was going on, this idiot attempting to defraud them would be run out on rails. That’s how tough they are. And they would have the manpower to make that happen.”

  “What if one of them is actually the head of this investment group?”

  “That’s a pretty tall accusation. You’re saying the ranchers are involved as investors in this magical corporation?”

  “That’s what I’ve read, but maybe many of them are working together in order to run the smaller ranchers out of business, purchasing their cattle at a low price then promising them a significant return at a later date.”

  I thought about what she was saying and while I hadn’t been around Missoula for very long, there were very few of the wealthy ranchers who would dare get into anything of that nature, if any. However, I was no fool. There were always schemes to make money, Hawk already warning me about a few of the big names who’d been around for decades. Still, her accusations were a tough pill to take. “Danni, I’m going to give you the same piece of advice that I did before. Don’t go off half-cocked with shit like this, no matter what you were told or what you read. If you have any concrete evidence, which I doubt you do, then take it to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff is a no shit kind of gal who will listen to you, but again, only if you have honest to God proof.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to find, and I’ve had some experience with the sheriff. I also tried to talk to some of the veterinarians and a couple of my clients, but they refused to say anything.”

  “Why should they? You recently moved to Missoula and no one knows you. What you’re actually doing is ruffling feathers with corporations that make more money than God, but they live by their reputations. Even the hint of impropriety and they’ll be shunned from the auctions altogether. Ranching is a very serious and lucrative business.”

  “That much I know. A lot of money to be made and lost.”

  As she shifted her glass from one hand to the other, I could easily tell there was a hell of a lot she wasn’t telling me.

  “You’re hiding something,” I stated.

  “Not really. I don’t have any smoking gun. Yet. But I assure you that I will find one.”

  “I didn’t think you had one. You need to stop, Danni. You’re only going to get yourself hurt.”

  “I’ve never stopped pushing forward before. Why should I now?”

  “Because some of the ranchers you’re accusing are hard-ass men. They won’t give a shit who you are or why you’re accusing them. They just might shoot to kill. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  Danni jerked up from the couch, immediately moving toward the front window. “You don’t understand. This is important to me.”

  I rubbed my forehead, taking several deep breaths. “No, I don’t, at least not completely. That’s because you’re not telling me everything. Why is this so important to you? Because your friend told you that something is going on? Because some jerk tried to tell you that Big Meadow is running a criminal operation? That doesn’t sound like the intelligent woman who’s sparred with me for two days.” I studied her pensive form and my instinct kicked in. “Wait a minute. Did someone threaten you?”

  Danni palmed the glass as Zorro inched closer to her, nuzzling against her leg. “It doesn’t matter, Mustang. I already told you. I’m a big girl. I can handle myself.”

  I’d spent my entire life defending my country, learning early on that various methods of evil destroyed the basic concept of humanity. While everyone had demons haunting them, whatever this bratty filly was going through threatened to derail her entire career.

  If not her life.

  I barely managed to shove my glass on the table before moving toward her. She instantly bristled when I eased behind her, crowding her space. As I placed my hands on her arms, she moaned, her fingers white-knuckled from pressing them against the glass.

  “Don’t, Mustang. This can’t happen. We’re not good together.”

  An overwhelming feeling of desire mixed with an intense longing to protect her. There was no rationalization that I was able to grasp onto. I didn’t know this girl, had no way of ascertaining how deep the level of shit she’d gotten herself into, but my irrational side didn’t care. I pulled her against my chest, refusing to give in to her bratty attitude or her level of defiance. My hunger was far too significant.

  So was my need to dominate her.

  “This is going to happen, Danni. In fact, I think you long to have a controlling force in your life, one that allows you the ability to let your guard down.”

  “Not true,” she whispered.

  “One thing you need to learn is that lying to me isn’t going to do you any good. I have no problem turning you over my knee anytime, anywhere. So you need to listen to me. While you’re right in that we don’t know each other very well, you need to learn to trust someone. Whatever you’re hiding is only going to get you killed.”

  “I’m not hiding anything.”

  Ve
ry slowly I eased her hand from the glass, intertwining our fingers together. She shivered from my touch and I could see her reflection in the glass, the uncertainty in her eyes. Everything about her was bold and opinionated, yet at this moment she seemed more vulnerable than I could have imagined. What the hell was the girl locked inside and why? Who was she really afraid of?

  As I eased Danni’s hand to her side, she swayed back and forth. Every savage desire I’d felt before bridged the surface, my heart thudding to the point I had difficulty breathing. I pulled Danni away from the window, slowly turning her to face me.

  She planted her hand against my chest, every part of her body tense. When she fisted her hand around my shirt, leaning in closer, I dropped my head until our lips were only centimeters away. “Didn’t you tell me that you’re a dangerous man?” she whispered the question, her breath cascading across my neck.

  “I did and I am.”

  “Then what am I doing around you, Mustang?”

  I tightened my hold, cocking my head slightly. “That’s a question only you can answer.” The second I pressed my lips against hers, she rose onto her tiptoes, leaning in even more, our bodies electrified. There was nothing like the taste of her. So damn sweet. So inviting. I would never be able to get enough of her.

  Yanking her away from the window, I slid my hand down her back, cupping her bottom, able to feel her trembles through the rough pads of my fingers. While I attempted to keep the kiss subtle, perhaps even reassuring, I was unable to hold back the beast crawling within me. The woman ignited the fire to the point I could lose control.

  The moment the embrace became more intense, she ground her hips against mine, moaning into the kiss. I swept my tongue over hers, the delicate play almost immediately turning into a manic roar of hunger. There was no holding back, no concept of controlling the almost desperate need I felt for her.

  As I dominated her tongue, the mixture of whiskey and a hint of cinnamon embroiling my senses, I slipped my hand under her pajama top. The feel of her heated skin on my fingertips was just as electrifying as the way she felt in my arms. After a few seconds, she jerked at my shirt, struggling to get her hands between us, ripping until the sound of buttons popping could be heard.

  I pushed back, snagging her lower lip in my mouth before rearing back with a series of growls.

  Her chest rising and falling, she stared at me, her eyes glistening in the subtle light. But there was no doubt about the twinkle in her eyes, the way her entire body quivered.

  “Damn it, woman. I want you and I am going to take you.” I no longer cared whether my tone was dominating, or whether she hungered the same way I did. This was all about devouring her, taking exactly what I hungered for.

  Danni’s mouth twisted as she gazed up at me. When I tossed her over my shoulder, she moaned. I stormed toward the hallway, finding her bedroom immediately. As I eased her to the floor, the moonlight streaming in through the open blinds, I was able to see the glimmer in her eyes seconds before she ripped away the rest of my shirt, dragging it over my shoulders.

  When she managed to yank it to the floor, I found it difficult to breathe. The second she placed her hands on my chest, using the tips of her fingers to knead my skin, the flash of heat was almost blinding. The ravenous beast in me took over. Within seconds, I pulled her pajama top over her head, pitching the unwanted material. When I struggled to remove the bottoms, she pulled away from me, finishing undressing.

  There was nothing quite like seeing her gorgeous naked body standing in front of me as she swayed back and forth.

  I advanced like a true predator, cupping both sides of her face. As I tipped her head back in the moonlight, the feel of her skin was enough to create a firestorm. Slowly lowering my head, I rolled one hand down the length of her back, feeling every bone in her spine, tickling her skin. There was nothing like the feel of her, the way she reacted as I slid my fingertip down the crack of her ass. I wanted nothing more than to take her in her tight little asshole, filling her with my seed.

  And I would.

  With an exaggerated ragged breath, she brushed her fingers down my arms, shifting them to my hips as she rose onto her toes. Damn, the woman remained defiant, as if nothing I said or do would give her permission to surrender.

  “You don’t own me,” she whispered.

  “Yeah? That’s where you are wrong.”

  “You obviously overestimate yourself.”

  She blew a swath of hot air across my chest, purring when she lifted her head, the smile on her face utterly mischievous. I sucked in my breath and released my hold, struggling to keep from devouring her as she peppered kisses against my skin. The intense heat from her body was almost overwhelming, fueling the thirst that certainly wouldn’t be quenched tonight.

  “Maybe you underestimate what I can do,” I managed, every nerve ending on fire. As she continued kissing and licking until she dropped to the floor, I could no longer think clearly, a heavy fog surrounding my mind. My thoughts remained entirely barbaric, every desire nothing more than that of a savage man.

  “Mmm… Maybe. I guess you’ll have to show me. That is… If. You. Dare.”

  She had no idea that she’d unleashed the beast, but as she unfastened my belt buckle, the overwhelming need moved to an entirely different level. With no hesitation, I tossed her onto the bed, dropping onto my knees then spreading her legs wide open. The scent of her pussy was the kind of powerful aphrodisiac that no man could ignore. My mouth watered as she nervously covered her eyes, her beautiful breasts bobbing from the power of her heavy breathing. I dropped my head, dragging my tongue from her clit all the way down the length of her pussy, savoring every luscious drop of her tangy cream.

  “You made a mistake, sweet sunshine. You challenged the wrong man. Now you’re going to pay the price.”

  Chapter 7

  Danni

  Oh, God. Oh… God.

  There wasn’t an inch on my body that wasn’t shivering from Mustang’s strong touch, the way he held me. Everything about him was forceful, dominating and a part of me was terrified I wouldn’t be able to handle whatever brutal actions he was prepared to give.

  Another part wanted to rip out his eyes with my fingers, feeding them to the wolves. I couldn’t believe I was so attracted or the way my body reacted, but there was no denying the electricity shared between us. I held my arm over my eyes, the rush of embarrassment cresting across the lower half of my face just as horrifying as the goosebumps erupting along every inch of my skin. When he swiped his tongue down the length of my pussy, I was almost instantly shattered to the core. At the same time, anxiety washed over me even as wetness pooled between my legs. I was lightheaded, struggling to hold onto my nerves as a tightness in my chest continued to build.

  “Here’s what’s going to happen,” Mustang stated offhandedly. “You’re going to keep your legs wide open for me and you are not allowed to come unless I give you permission. Do I make myself clear?”

  I lifted my arm long enough to glare at him, giving him the dirtiest look I could muster.

  He tilted his head, lifting his eyebrows. “Do you know what it would feel like to have my thick leather strap slapping against your pretty pink pussy lips?”

  There wasn’t a single part of me not shaking after he issued the words. “Fine. I get it.”

  As if to add emphasis, he smacked my pussy lips with three fingers, bringing them down in rapid succession.

  “Do you want to try that again, sunshine?”

  I huffed, holding back my tongue, the sting more incredible than I wanted to admit. “Fine. Yes. Sir.”

  “See. Isn’t that better?” As if a reward, he dipped his head once again, rolling his tongue around the area he’d just smacked, shaking his head from side to side as he drank from me.

  Stars washed over me in vibrant colors, leaving every inch of my skin on fire and my heart ready to explode.

  “Oh. Oh. Oh.” I hated the moans erupting from my throat, but I there was no
way to stop them. The sensations in every cell were red-hot, leaving me panting like some freaking dog, only adding to the embarrassment I felt.

  Growling, Mustang repeated the move, taking his time to swirl the tip of his tongue around my clit before languishing over lapping up the cream leaking from my tight channel. How long had it been since any man had pleasured me with such ferocity? Long enough I couldn’t even see an image of the man involved or think of the occurrence. Obviously, the experience hadn’t been very good.

  I remained mortified, my energy almost sapped as he darted his tongue around my swollen bud several times before sucking on my clit. I tossed my head from side to side, trying desperately to catch my breath. Nothing had ever felt so good, the pleasure increasing rapidly. I tried to obey him, keeping my legs wide open, but I hadn’t realized they’d slipped until he issued a series of guttural sounds.

  Then he smacked his fingers across my tender tissue again.

  And again.

  “You are so mean!” I yelped before I could stop the words.

  “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” He gave me a stern look, waiting until I pressed my knees open, holding them with my hands, before blowing across my pussy.

  “And so bad.”

  “Hell, yeah. Isn’t that what all dirty cowboys are supposed to be?”

  There was something about his wicked grin that drove me wild, the slight smile highlighting the dimple in his chin. He was disarming in his actions, but there was no doubt he was serious about his utter desire for possession.

  When he buried his head once again, thrusting his tongue inside, I was unable to hold back a scream, the sound floating toward the ceiling. Panting, I dug my fingers into my knees, every part of my body shaking as he rubbed my clit between his index finger and thumb, creating a wave of friction. I was instantly thrown into a round of bliss, curling my toes the second he pinched and twisted. While pain blasted through me, almost instantly the most incredible feeling of exhilaration replaced the sting.

  Mustang slipped several fingers beside his tongue, plunging in wild abandon. When he flexed them open, curling the tips, I jerked up from the bed, struggling to keep my position.