Howdy, Ma'am

by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

  Caulder whispered against her ear, “Let go and enjoy.” His moist breath tickled, but when he licked her ear, spasms of eroticism shattered her psyche.

  She trembled and leaned closer, enjoying everything about this cowboy, and let go. So much so, she ran her hand over the phallus between his legs until he breathed erratically against her ear. Maybe she grasped him for too long because he began moving against her hand, and he moaned, tossing his head back. With his eyes closed, Velia recognized the look on his face as being close to his own culmination, close to both of them going too far. Was it her intention when she refused to listen to her own musings to release him?

  Her body lurched, while flashing lights and crashing waves of heat slammed against her core. She wanted to capture him inside her body, wanted him to take her to the bed and make scorching, passionate love to her. Yes, if he tried, she would let him.

  Caulder wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. His fingers moved to her tender center where he tickled her most sensitive spot and rubbed circles against her rigid knot until she squirmed. He drove her to heaven and back with his fingers, and she wanted more. “More…” Did those words slip out of her mouth?

  Caulder slowed his movements when she squealed against his cheek. She moved to his lips and French kissed a practical stranger. Passion drove her to grasp him tighter. They both clung to each other in the hot bubbly water, his heart racing against her chest. Was he thinking the same thing? Did he want to take her to the bed and bombard her with sweet delight?

  Did he look for an answer in her eyes when he stared?

  He lifted her from the water and carried her to bed, gently lowering her. She didn’t need coaxing, for she wrapped her legs around his waist when he entered her. She looked into his eyes, still wanting, needing, seeking satisfaction. She reached out and removed a lock of hair from his forehead, so it no longer covered one sexy orb, seeing in his blue eyes an intense fervor. Heat emanated from their bodies. Lost in exquisite passion, she vehemently arched upward against him, sweet climax imminent, going with each thrust inside her body as he increased his pace and rode her like he rode the bull earlier.

  “Yes, yes!” She couldn’t help herself, couldn’t control the shouts. Closing her eyes, she let him sweep her away, and she absorbed every muscle he had pounding against her. He banged her hard, and her shouts rang out. His screams and moans turned into groans matching hers, and he slowed his pace. One more hard thrust and it was all over for both of them. Caulder screamed one last, loud time and collapsed on top of her.

  She remained quiet, still holding him tight as their sweaty bodies mingled. A whirlwind—a cyclone of desire. He came, he spent himself, and now he lay entwined, wrapped in her arms and legs. Dare she speak? Dare she acknowledge what happened? Did she think she could leave his bed and get back in the Jacuzzi like it didn’t happen? Act like the out-of-this- world sex didn’t happen? Good God!

  Amazing—

  Taken aback by the images, her breathing sped up at the thought, and then he started kissing her neck all over again, licking the thumping pulse at her throat. They didn’t look at one another. She forced his face into the long hair lying on her pillow and she hid herself at his neck, looking past him but seeing their bodies moving in ecstasy moments ago.

  Caulder moved off her and wrapped his arm around her waist. She laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes, intuition telling her he stared. She couldn’t put it off any longer. She whispered, “What?”

  “I didn’t say anything.” He lowered his voice. “You’re imagining things...ma’am.”

  Her cheeks flushed. Thankfully, candlelight hid the blush. Caulder touched her cheek, cupping her chin, and he turned her face toward him. “Open your eyes and look at me.”

  “I can’t...” She tried to turn away, but he held her firm, and she did open her eyes and look at him.

  He rose to one elbow. “Are you ashamed of what happened?” His voice dwindled. “Please don’t be, Velia. How could we refuse this?”

  “I thought I hid it well. I didn’t want this to happen.” What a lie. She was so turned on, excited, hot for him she forgot everything she ever remembered about not being attracted to him. Now with a determination she swore by, she wouldn’t let it happen again. Dammit, she was attracted to him. Could she fight it after this night?

  “If you’re sorry this happened, I’m sorry for you. You’re cheating yourself out of something beautiful. I’m not and never will be sorry.” He lay back down and stared at the ceiling. “I’ve wanted you since I walked into your shop.”

  “You couldn’t have. You didn’t know me.”

  “Instant attraction. True story. The chemistry drove me crazy, and I wanted you, not necessarily to have sex with you, but to be with you. You were like a magnet pulling me closer. Couldn’t you tell?”

  “I tried to deny there was something there. I’m not ready.”

  “Yes you are.”

  “Okay, I’m a liar, I am attracted to you. But I can’t be, Caulder!” She sat up and pulled the sheet around her. “I can’t be.” She started to get up.

  Caulder took her arm and scooted behind, straddling her naked thighs. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his face against her cheek. “How can you disagree with what just happened? How can you not want this to happen again? This was mind-blowing. We’re amazing together.”

  “Okay, it was wonderful. It’s true… I can’t forget about it, but I want to. Please let me up.”

  He released her.

  Velia gathered her swimsuit and went through the door to her room. She jumped into the shower, but before she did, she inhaled his special scent on her skin.

  Caulder McCutchen, a man who walked into her life to hire her to do a job excited her beyond anything that made sense. “Dammit!” She pounded her hands against the shower wall as the water rolled over her. “Why did this happen?”

  The first night on the road and this happened. “The big “O” with him!” How would she ever face him again? What would she be thinking when she looked through the viewfinder of her camera, staring, focusing, drooling? How would she handle the next nine months with him? “Why don’t I have an answer to all these goddamn whys.”

  She did what she should have done when she got back to the hotel. She went to bed alone. Maybe when she woke in the morning, she’d find it all a dream. How does one ignore the tingle when her loins still throbbed? How could she ignore the scent of him still in her nostrils, in her memory, when she woke? What would she do when she saw him in the morning? She pulled the pillow over her head and tried to block it out. But all she kept seeing was a sexy movie where two lovers were going to town having erotic, non-remorseful sex. There would never be a rerun of this movie. She might as well accept that this movie wouldn’t repeat itself.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Morning brought Caulder to her door, the main door and not the adjoining door. When she opened it, he entered. “Hungry? I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”

  “I’m not hungry this morning. You go without me. I have to look through all my photos anyway.”

  “You’ll have time on the plane. Come on. I promise not to ravish you.”

  Everything would have been fine if he hadn’t said those words. She flung her arms out in front of her. “Dammit, Caulder, why do you have to remind me of last night?”

  He grasped his head with both hands. “I wasn’t reminding you. I was being honest.” He walked to the window and waited with his back to her. “You’re so worried about me taking advantage of you… You’re turning around everything I say.” He faced her and stuck his hands in his rear pockets. “Stop doing this or we won’t get anywhere.”

  “We’re not getting anywhere again!”

  “Look, I’m not going to forget it happened.” He crossed the room and took her into his arms.

  She immediately moved away, backed into the dresser, and fell on the bed. When she looked up at him, he stood grinning. He held out his hand. She
ignored it and got up without touching him. The touch of his hands on her body scorched like fire. She had to refuse. How would she ever turn her feelings off now that they’ve been turned on?

  Being a woman of self-proposed strength, she would try. Sure. She. Would. She grabbed her jacket and followed him downstairs. The team had arrived earlier, and Velia and Caulder joined them. The server brought coffee and took their order.

  “Hey, how did ya’ll sleep?”

  Nothing more than an innocent question from one of the gate men, but oh, Lord, were her cheeks red?

  “I slept like a million bucks. No, a trillion bucks.” Caulder smirked when he glanced at her then took a sip of coffee.

  “You should have because you’re the first winner of the season.” Donna stabbed a slice of ham from the plate. “We’ll all be watching, you know.”

  “I suspect so. That’s why I have my very own photographer.”

  Velia looked up from her coffee to find everyone staring at her. “Huh? What did I miss?” She hoped to hide the embarrassment.

  “I told Caulder everyone would be watching him, and he said that’s why he had his own personal photographer.”

  “Oh, yes, of course.”

  “I can’t wait to see those pictures of my first ride.”

  She took a deep breath. “I don’t have those pictures. I chose to do something different. Everyone else has those pictures, so why would I do what everyone else did?”

  “What? You didn’t get pictures of my first win of the season?”

  “Trust me, okay.” All eyes at the table were on her again. “You hired me because you liked my work. I have everything you need.”

  “Yeah, trust the woman. You’ve never heard that before!” Trent laughed as he made fun of Caulder.

  “He knows he can trust me.” Velia squinted as if defending against his glare.

  “We’re joshing, Ms. Armano.”

  She continued to peer at Caulder. “I should be used to joshing. He jokes all the time.”

  “My joking is over for the season, but look out come November.” He dumped a forkful of pancakes into his mouth and looked down at his plate.

  Velia gazed at his lips, watching them as he chewed, remembering how they nibbled hers last night. A chill eased its way down her spine. She gulped another drink of coffee and asked for more when the server came. Her fresh fruit and yogurt still sat untouched, so she dug in because she didn’t know when her next meal would come. Some of the women were going shopping, but she said she needed to stay on the job. Her camera would be working overtime today. She would block out everything and stick to her work.

  If only everything goes to plan.

  * * *

  As soon as Caulder came out to practice, wearing Wranglers and a shirt with the sleeves cut out, and pumped muscles filling her viewfinder, she almost choked on her own lust. “Focus, dammit!” He strutted around the arena like he owned each grain of sand. He went to every bull and talked to them. When he kneeled and came nose to nose with one big, ugly critter, she had it in her sights. She videotaped him around the horses, patting them on the back, and sliding his hand down their flanks. Like he slid his hand down my flank. “Focus, Velia.” She got him on video when he wandered to the other side of the arena. Yes, she got one fine part of him strolling away from her—his tight and toned, nice-looking, feel good arse. She stomped. “Why, dammit, why?” She let her camera dangle from the neck strap when she watched him walk into the stable.

  And she followed.

  She caught him inside the doorway. “Hey, cowboy?”

  When he turned toward her, he took a slow glance over her body, and she was aware of the longing in his eyes. She hurried to him and slid her arms around his neck. Her hungry lips found his, and she became captured in his arms. His lips answered her wanton need. She ran her fingers over his huge biceps then dug her nails into his back with anticipation when he walked her backwards toward the horse stall. He closed the half door and released her to the clean, fresh straw. They went to their knees, immediately embracing, staring into each other’s eyes as if a silent message rose between them, and they lay down in the straw.

  Caulder moved atop her, caressing her body with tender strokes. Straw picked through her thin shirt. She found his lips once again, kissing with a vengeance, a need, a sexy want. She needed him! She wanted him. This time she darted her tongue between his lips, and she liked when he suckled it like he would a candy sucker. He slid his hand under her and caressed her rear as she arched her hips, drawing him close by hooking her leg over his. The animalistic need she tried to hold back released itself and snared its prey.

  He unhooked the snap on her jeans and slid his hand inside, fingering his way past her silk panties. When he ran his fingers over her, she whispered against his lips. ‘Take me, Caulder, take me, per favore.”

  Velia shook as she slid down his zipper and submerged her hand inside his pants.

  He wriggled away long enough to stand and drop his jeans, kicking them away. She removed hers while still supine, ignoring the scratchy hay against her tender skin. He lay beside her and went right to kissing her lips, easing down to the hollow of her throat. Caulder hurriedly unsnapped her shirt. When it opened he pushed her lace bra beneath her breast and lovingly nibbled an erect nipple. He fondled the other with his thumb and forefinger before his mouth followed, licking his way to her rosy areola, sucking the wet peak into his mouth. Velia’s body quivered with each lick, suck, kiss, each magical sensation until her nipples tingled.

  She grasped his hair as he nuzzled her breasts, and she took on the role of a hungry wolf arching against him until she felt him twitch against her.

  He removed her panties and eased into her, boring fast and hard at first as if to fill his own need, but then he slowed to an easy rhythm, allowing her to catch his pace.

  Velia didn’t have her eyes closed this time. She wanted to see each move made between them. He rolled over and she straddled him, falling onto his virile erection, hips grinding, thrust upon urgent thrust. Her sheath accepted anything he had, and she rhythmically moved with him. Her breasts bounced with every push, and Caulder reached up and cupped each one.

  Velia pitched her head back. “Ahhh, you finally noticed I have breasts.”

  “Your breasts are beautiful,” he said, with a groan on his lips. “How could I not notice? I notice every time I look at you.” He plunged deeper.

  They rolled over and Caulder held her at her side and mounted her from behind, his leg between hers to spread her enough to allow him back in her silken cleft, still wet and slick. He rode her, his body pressed tight against her back and derrière. He held himself up on one elbow while his other wrapped tightly around her. She did all she could not to scream out when he lowered his hand and rubbed her magic spot until she fell into ecstasy.

  Caulder’s thrusts came quicker, drilling against her, inside her. He screamed against her shoulder, his mouth and lips tight against her skin. Velia held him until panting returned to normal breathing. They lay curled together, Caulder protectively covering her with his heated limbs.

  In the arena, there were men’s voices and horses whinnying. They were still far from the stable…their voices only a blur. The straw dug into her skin and Caulder removed some pieces from her hair. He cupped her breast as he kissed the curve of her shoulder. Now, she grew close to this man who made love to her better than she thought possible, and she wanted everything from him. She wanted his mouth and hot tongue to touch places that would cause screams. She wanted his fingers to probe inside her, and she wanted kisses when she woke and kisses when she went to sleep.

  There was hardly any time to cool down and enjoy the moment. She sat up and brought her shirt to cover her nakedness. She tried to separate the tangles in her dark waves, but she stared at him, messy hair and all. Reaching over she took some pieces of straw from his hair, and slid her folded hand along his jaw, resting her fingers against his cheek. He closed his eyes, and she thought h
e loved her touch as much as she loved his. What happened just now wasn’t planned, and probably never would have been, but the question she asked herself last night received an answer today. Now, she knew what she would be thinking when she looked through the viewfinder. “I don’t know how this happened.” She pushed hair away from his eyes. “I’m not sorry.” She shook her head back and forth.

  “I’m glad.” He cocked his head, staring at her nakedness in a makeshift stable until the voices came closer. She quickly put on her bra and he hooked it for her. She stuck her arms through the shirtsleeves, snapping it as fast as she could. Caulder did the same thing, and when he pulled his jeans up from a reclining position, she got a long glimpse of his aroused state. It didn’t seem to take much to get him excited. Was this chemistry thing supposed to happen this way? Could Caulder be the one the closed door, opened for? She admitted her attraction and wanted him to know.

  He should know she wasn’t going to fight it anymore. She quickly zipped her jeans and slipped her feet into her boots. She ran her fingers over her hair after Caulder reached over and picked another piece of straw from her curls. She pushed him into the corner and stood. She grabbed her camera and put the strap around her neck and focused. “Yeah, Caulder just like that.” She motioned for him to stand up. “Yeah, lean into the corner now. Put your arm up against the door.” She snapped a couple photos then reviewed them. “Yeah, they look good. I think we have enough for now.” When they walked out together one of the stable hands came into the stall with Trent beside him. “I think the photos here in the stable are going to be terrific.”

  “Yeah, I agree. Good idea to get a couple off in here.”

  Her cheeks reddened. She whispered, “Get a couple off in here?” She looked at him with an innocent grin and red cheeks. Then she smiled. “Yes, I’m glad we got a couple off in here.”