Her Bareback Cowboys

by Ylette Pearson

  Table of Contents

  Legal Page

  Title Page

  Book Description

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  New Excerpt

  About the Author

  Publisher Page

  A Totally Bound Publication

  Her Bareback Cowboys

  ISBN # 978-1-78430-184-2

  ©Copyright Ylette Pearson 2014

  Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright August 2014

  Edited by Jennifer Douglas

  Totally Bound Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2014 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN

  Warning:

  This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Burning and a Sexometer of 2.

  HER BAREBACK COWBOYS

  Ylette Pearson

  When riding bareback proves too much of a temptation to resist…

  When the Groundhog Saddle Company awards twenty-six-year-old freelance photographer and divorcee, Adrian Barlow the coveted assignment of advertising their saddles and other leather products, she jumps at the opportunity. Her bank account is in dire need of replenishing and her reputation as a photographer hangs by a shred over a bottomless abyss. Even when her employer informs her that her duties include playing babysitter for the two cowboys they hired for the job, she doesn’t complain. She needs the money too much to be fussy.

  Texan rodeo stars Wade Randall and Maverick Green agree to play fashion model for a couple of months because Wade needs the money to buy his own ranch in Texas and Maverick must rest his injured shoulder. However, nothing prepared them for the sight of Adrian when she collects them at the OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa.

  The attraction between the three is instantaneous and the sexual tension so thick it clogs up the interior of Adrian’s four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser, but none of them are in the market for a serious relationship. Adrian’s past sexual mistakes caused her financial misery and she has no desire for a repeat performance while the men’s plans for life exclude permanent partners for a long time to come.

  Isolated on a working farm in the Highveld of the Mpumalanga Province, Adrian is unable to resist the sexual pleasures the two cowboys promise. With the firm understanding that none of them wants a serious relationship, they embark on a journey of sexual discovery that melts the cold winter days.

  However, when old acquaintances from Adrian’s past arrive, she learns that over-indulgence always comes at a price…

  Dedication

  To my own life-long hero for effortlessly keeping the romance going.

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Toyota Land Cruiser: Toyota Corporation

  Smarties: Nestlé

  Air France: Air France-KLM

  Colgate: Colgate-Palmolive Company

  Chapter One

  Wade Randall gripped the armrest while the plane hurtled toward the OR Tambo airport. The fuselage screeched as turbulence shook the metal frame. Fear dried the saliva in his mouth to dust and sent his heart ramming against his ribcage. Around him, passengers prepared for the imminent landing with muted but excited voices. How could they be so calm? Didn’t they know that landing was the most dangerous part of flying?

  For the past half-hour, he’d watched as the buildings beneath the plane grew larger. The colorful rooftops failed to brighten the bleak South African winter landscape. What was he thinking, climbing aboard an airplane to fly halfway around the world to star in a commercial? He was a rodeo cowboy, not a fashion model. A stubborn bull he could handle, but prancing around in front of a camera?

  He sighed and glanced at his companion fidgeting in his seat. Maverick Green had been his best friend since he could remember and the reason Wade was sitting in the plane. When Maverick’s friend who owned a saddle manufacturing company asked if he knew of two reasonably handsome cowboys he could use in his advertisement, Maverick had immediately volunteered the two of them, knowing Wade could use the money.

  “Remember, this was your idea,” he said as Maverick moved his long legs to find a more comfortable spot.

  Maverick grimaced. “Don’t remind me. My ass has to have changed into a square box after sitting this long.”

  “How’s your shoulder holding up?”

  Maverick touched his left shoulder. “Okay, I guess. I wouldn’t mind getting out of this seat, though.”

  Wade was short on sympathy. It served him right that he had to cramp his big frame into the narrow seat and ended up resembling the Hunchback from Notre Dame for most of the flight. After all, this whole thing was Maverick’s idea.

  Although his own bum felt like a thousand horses had trampled over it, Wade was used to roughing it. Maverick, on the other hand, never had to withstand the rougher side of life unless he thought it might be an adventure—which almost never happened. After nearly a day and a half of waiting at airports and squeezing into airplane seats, Wade was just about ready to return home.

  If only the money the Groundhog Saddle Company had offered them to advertise the saddles wasn’t so good, he’d be on the first plane out of here. After this job, the balance in his savings account would be enough to buy his ranch. He closed his eyes as the ranch he’d set his heart on, flashed in his mind. Yep, even if he knew absolutely nothing about promoting products or acting like god’s gift to women in front of the camera, the payoff would be worth it. Besides, like Maverick had said, how difficult could it be to test a couple of saddles, smile their endorsement and collect their paycheck?

  “Did you see the names of the photographer and video crew?” Maverick waved the pamphlet from the saddle company in front of Wade’s face and Wade opened his eyes. “It’s disgusting. They hired an all-male crew.” Maverick sighed melodramatically. “How are we going to entertain ourselves on a farm without female company?”

  Wade swatted the pamphlet away. “Maybe they thought you needed some celibacy. After your last disaster of a relationship, I would’ve thought you’d welcome the opportunity to be without women for a while.”

  Maverick shuddered, straightened in his chair and frowned. “Don’t remind me. The last thing I need is another clinging woman. I swear I didn’t give Judy any reason to believe we were more than just casual lovers. Hell, I never stayed over at her place or she at mine.”

  Wade grinned. “You banged her twice a week. Maybe that’s why she had the wedding dress picked
out.”

  Maverick cocked his head to the side. “She knew I had other lovers. She—and you—even shared some of them. How could she have thought I wanted a future with her?” He shifted in his seat again. “Maybe you’re right. It might be a good thing to abstain for the duration of this trip.”

  “You’re sure you can manage without sex for three weeks without becoming crusty?” Wade drawled.

  Maverick grinned. “Sure as hell’s worth giving it a try.”

  The announcement over the public address system saved Wade from answering. He donned his seatbelt then pulled his chair upright. The end of their long journey was in sight and he couldn’t wait to feel solid ground under his feet again. Regardless of how fearless everyone thought cowboys to be, flying scared the crap out of him.

  * * * *

  According to the overhead notice boards, the Air France plane had landed on time and the passengers were disembarking. Adrian Barlow cradled the cup in her hand and carefully sipped at the hot coffee. Despite the July chill, a droplet of sweat trickled down her chest to disappear between her breasts. She uncrossed and recrossed her legs under the table.

  Too much depended on her completing this assignment. If she failed, her career as a photographer was over. Finished. You didn’t get a third chance when you’d screwed up as badly as she had.

  Around her, passengers and family swirled, ebbing and flowing with the arrival and departure of airplanes. Everyone was in a hurry to get out of the impersonal atmosphere of the OR Tambo Airport, one of the South African airports where construction appeared to be never-ending.

  Adrian’s hand jerked and her cup crashed onto the saucer as a toddler flew into a screaming fit at an adjacent table. When her heartbeat returned to some semblance of normal, she glanced their way. The flush on the woman’s face and her harried expression bore testament that this had been a long day for both mother and child.

  Adrian focused on her coffee again. Good thing her own maternal instincts had taken a hike after her divorce. Raising a child when her life was as ordered as a box of Smarties would be disastrous. At twenty-six, she needed men for a good romp in the hay, nothing more. No relationships and definitely no commitment.

  The doors of the international arrivals slid open and disgorged a steady stream of passengers. From the photos the advertising company had sent her, she should recognize her charges easily. They were cowboys—real ones, not actors pretending to be American. Yeah right, as if they will be the only cowboys on the flight from Houston. She had to babysit them for the following three weeks and all she had besides their photos was the knowledge that they were cowboys and household names in United States rodeo circuit.

  The fee she charged for this assignment would be enough to get her studio upgraded and her reputation restored. She figured if she could handle the fickle emotions of male models with egos the size of the Grand Canyon, a couple of honest-to-goodness cowboys shouldn’t be a problem.

  Adrian pushed the cup to the center of the table, rose then descended the escalators. Once at the bottom, she joined the small crowd waiting for passengers to arrive. The doors slid open again and a tall, lean man with a cream-colored Stetson walked though. Wade Randall stood out in any crowd.

  Adrian squinted to get a better look. Locks of black hair peeked out under the hat and framed a tanned but serious face. With his lips drawn in a straight line and his brown eyes guarded, Wade searched the crowd. Dressed in a brown checkered shirt and jeans that hugged long legs, he was any woman’s dream of what a cowboy-lover should be. Even his brown leather boots screamed hunk.

  She sighed audibly when he turned toward the sliding doors, affording her a glimpse of a tight behind. Her fingers itched to smooth some of the wrinkles out of the rear of his jeans.

  Get a grip, Adrian. Your hormones have caused enough damage in your life as it is. Handsome and completely edible doesn’t necessarily translate to dependable and faithful.

  She shoved the negative thought to the background. Today she had a job to do and no time to spend rehashing past mistakes.

  Another man wearing a Stetson sauntered through the doors. In direct contrast to Wade, Maverick Green’s infectious smile elicited responses and blushes from the female crowd along the ropes. He stopped at a blonde-haired girl, exaggerated a bow and kissed her hand. The girl blushed and Maverick’s hearty laugh filled the arrivals hall. Several heads swung in their direction, adding to the discomfort of the girl and increasing the twinkle in Maverick’s blue eyes.

  Blond hair, blue eyes and a Colgate smile—the advertising agency must have paid big bucks to get someone like him on their payroll. The cotton shirt emphasized the bulky muscles rippling beneath, and the way he filled the blue jeans had her mouth watering.

  Wade shook his head at Maverick’s antics, tapping his foot while waiting for him to finish frolicking with the girl. Adrian frowned. Wade appeared much too serious to have three weeks of fun in sunny South Africa. The cowboys had to be sexy, but they also had to enjoy life enough for it to show in the photos. From experience, she knew how unforgiving the lens of a camera could be. She swallowed.

  No. She wasn’t going down that road again.

  The men joined up and elbowed their way through the crowd. Why hadn’t she checked the internet for more information on them? How was she going to keep the conversations going for three weeks?

  The two stopped a few paces from her, clearly disagreeing over something. She inhaled audibly and squared her shoulders. No use postponing the inevitable, even if it meant she had to get a firm grip on her libido. She moved toward the men.

  “Excuse me.”

  Both glanced at her jean-clad figure. It felt like an examination, which she promptly failed and aced at the same time. Brown eyes filled with interest while a shutter fell over the blue ones. Maverick continued to scan the crowd. She swallowed to coat her dry throat.

  “Maverick Green and Wade Randall?”

  Wade stepped forward, tipped his hat and extended his hand. “I’m Wade Randall. You must be Adrian.”

  She nodded and her small hand disappeared into his callused one. His firm grip sent heat flaring up her arm, traveling through her like lightning and settling somewhere in her lower abdomen. She hoped it was her imagination, but the air practically crackled with electricity. Being attracted to her models was not on her agenda.

  “I am.” She pulled her hand out from his and turned to the other man, who stared at her through narrowed eyes. “You must be Maverick Green?”

  He nodded and although he replicated Wade’s greeting, his eyes remained guarded. All sense of fun had evaporated.

  Maverick resisted the urge to widen his stance to accommodate his cock straining against his jeans. Hell, he’d expected a man to collect them, not a woman who could pose for the centerfold in any pin-up magazine. Although not a classic beauty, the small woman staring at him was perfectly proportioned. Dressed in blue jeans and a figure-hugging stretch top, her head barely reached his shoulder. His libido roared into overdrive.

  He met her blue eyes and realized she was waiting for him to clarify his almost antagonistic reaction. How could he explain to her that his plans of remaining celibate for the next few weeks had just boarded the plane returning to Texas? Resisting the temptation this slip of a woman presented was going to be impossible.

  “We expected a man. Isn’t Adrian a male name?”

  Great, Maverick. Aggression is a sure-fire way to get in her good graces.

  She smiled and his heart skipped a beat.

  “It is, but my mother couldn’t remember the spelling of Adrienne so she settled with the male version. But I assure you, I am all female and have been since birth.”

  Her voice tingled like fine Christmas bells over his nerve-endings and had the remaining blood draining from his one head to the other one much lower in his body. Dammit. He usually had more self-control with the ladies. What made her different?

  Wade playfully smacked Maverick on his shoulder. “N
ow I’m glad you talked me into this.”

  Maverick glared at Wade, who seemed to have completely forgotten about Maverick’s injured shoulder. His displeasure at seeing his own feelings mirrored in his friend’s eyes stunned him. They’d shared women in the past, so why did he feel like wiping the silly grin off Wade’s face? Since he’d known Wade—and that had been all of their thirty years—Wade had never lost his cool over a woman. Now, his friend sported a crimson flush beneath his tanned skin and his brown eyes sparkled. This could get complicated.

  The crowd had thinned and Adrian headed to the exit. Over her shoulder, she added, “Let’s get going. After such a long flight, you must be ready for a warm bath and a comfortable bed.”

  Adrian listened to their boots thudding on the tiled floor behind her as the men followed her out of the building. Once outside, they donned their jackets and walked on either side of her, their big frames dwarfing her own five-foot height. Several people stared at them. They were two hotties and perfect for the assignment.

  She unlocked the rear door of the Land Cruiser station wagon and waited for the men to load their luggage. She climbed in behind the steering wheel and turned in her seat. “I reserved a suite in a hotel in the city if you are too tired to travel to the farm. Are you guys up for a three and a half hour drive, or do you prefer to stay at the hotel for today and go out to the farm tomorrow?”

  “I’d rather get there and settle in, if it’s not too much trouble.”

  Wade’s deep voice did strange things to her insides, like a deep and mysterious river she ached to explore. Damn, Adrian, get a grip. You are taking their photographs, not exploring their manhood. Her adventurous sexual appetite had already ruined her marriage and left her hanging on to the shreds of her reputation.