by Stone, Piper
“Not a peep. Makes me nervous. You know how she can get to my father.” I hated the fact my dad had always adored her, grousing for two solid months after our breakup. She’s an attorney and comes from a great family. Why can’t you two just get along? I remembered my father’s words like they’d been said yesterday.
Riley eased down onto the small couch. “You just need to get over her.”
“I am over her!”
He chuckled, lifting his glass. “Yep. I can see that. To women. Can’t live without them. Can’t bend them to your will.”
I felt myself wincing visibly when he sputtered the words. It wasn’t about bending Summer to my will. Or was it?
Obedience.
Submission.
Respect.
The three words continued to stick in my mind, a reminder of the man I’d finally accepted I’d become. Who the hell was I trying to kid? I’d always been dominating, which was one of the reasons Monica and I never saw eye to eye. One of them.
Riley leaned forward, his smile holding a raucous hint. “You spanked Summer. Didn’t you?”
“I...” Hesitating, I attempted to find the right words to say. “I told you. I’m making certain she follows the rules in every regard, just like I would any other roughneck on this rig.”
“And since she hasn’t?” Riley moved to the edge, never blinking. “Come on. It’s just me here. We’ve already established you like her and she’s mischievous, more like a disobedient child. You spanked her. What I would have done. You know, if I were in charge.”
Swirling the glass in my hand, I realized there wasn’t a single reason I couldn’t tell my best friend. “She received a round of discipline that was necessary for her particular infractions.”
Riley almost spit out a mouthful of his drink. Wiping his mouth, he shook his head. “I’ll take that as a yes. Good for you. The girl had it coming and then some.”
“Rules are meant to be followed. Plain and simple.” I lifted the glass in my own toast, taking a gulp and enjoying the slight burn. I should have dumped the whiskey down her sink.
“Said like a true Marine as well as a Texas boy. What now? Are you training her to submit in every manner then you’ll run off and get married?”
The tightness around my throat was became suffocating, the strangled cough forcing liquid from my mouth. “What?”
“Oh, come on. You’ve longed to find the right woman and start a family since I’ve known you and Monica doesn’t count.”
“No, she certainly wasn’t the settling down type,” I said as casually as possible. “I don’t think settling down is in the cards for a long time.”
Riley shifted his drink back and forth in his hands. “You’re not actually going to consider being a roughneck a long-term profession? You love the ranch. You can take the cowboy out of Texas but...”
“It’s not that.” I took another huge gulp, almost draining the glass.
“Then what is it? Your father refuses to keep the ranch?”
“No, he’s open to keeping the property, at least I think, but this conglomerate corporation has been breathing down his neck. I think he acts like he wants to sell to get me to live my own life. I was set to fight harder for the ranch.”
“I’m confused. You were set to fight. What the hell are you talking about?”
I don’t know why I hesitated before telling him. Maybe saying the words out loud meant I’d be forced into making a difficult decision. “Quantico. I was offered a position training new Marines.”
Gulping, Riley shook his head. “Wow. That came out of the blue. I never saw you as the teacher type. I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’re a damn good leader, but training Marines? That seems far too political for you.”
I knew exactly what he was saying. I’d been a damn good Marine, following orders to the ‘T’; however, I’d never been a part of the crowd itching to make officer. The military life had a positive effect on my life, taking me from an inexperienced Texan kid with a penchant for getting into trouble to a decorated man who’d saved several lives. But I’d never considered staying in the career until I was old and gray. “Yeah, I know but the money would be damn good and of course there’s security in the position.”
Staring at his almost empty drink for a solid two minutes, when Riley spoke, gone was his usual jovial bantering. “That certainly isn’t what I expected to hear. I’ve known you a long time, Jack and the only time I’ve seen you happy is at the ranch. You served your country and did it better than most. I think it’s time for you to move on. Just my opinion.”
“Yeah, but what if I can’t save the ranch?”
“That bad?”
I eased out of the chair, moving toward the bar. One more drink wasn’t going to kill me. “Just before I came on this gig, I found papers on my father’s desk. The bastards finally made a threat. Well, it was sugarcoated with a promise of providing more than what would be the asking price, but an ulterior motive was easy to read between the lines. I was pissed, let me tell you.”
“I’ll bet. That kind of shit is happening more and more.” Riley shook his head.
“I called the assholes, issuing my own ultimatum. Course, I didn’t get further than the secretary. Even went to the press when they shut me out.”
“That is so you.” He snickered under his breath.
“Yeah, well, I’m not certain it did anything but anger the establishment. My father has to make a decision on selling to them by the end of next month or they’ll make it difficult to sell at all.”
“Crap. They can do that?”
“Oh, the damn corporation has enough influence with the governmental powers that be to do just about anything they want. A solid two dozen ranchers have sold out near my dad’s place. They’re all terrified what could happen if they don’t.” I knew my father was pretending that he wasn’t worried, but I know him far too well. He just doesn’t want me to change my life plan, so he talked up Florida like he’s already made up his mind. Truth is, he doesn’t want me saddled with the ranch for the rest of my life.
“I also know you far too well, my friend. You’re going to fight them. Why bother considering this Quantico offer instead of fighting the big corporate regime? Really?” Riley asked quietly. “Does this have anything to do with Monica?”
I bristled at the mention of her name. “No. We’ve both moved on.”
“Uh-huh. I can tell.” He rolled his eyes.
“Look, I didn’t go looking for this opportunity. Mark Tomlin gave me a call out of the blue.”
“Good ole Mark.”
“What does that mean?”
Riley smirked and looked away for a few seconds. “For some reason, I never liked the guy. I don’t care that he was our training officer or that you two developed a friendship. He always seems to have something up his sleeve.”
I’d heard the scuttlebutt about Mark over the years, but I’d never been given any indication that the man was anything but a decorated officer, well respected in the ranks of the Marines. So what if he was supposed to be well connected? He’d been tough but fair, just what I’d needed. “Just drop it. Okay?”
“Fine.”
A quiet tension settled in.
“Truth is, if we can’t keep the estate, I don’t have anything else except for rigging. I refuse to go work for another ranch, assuming this conglomerate, Holmes Enterprises doesn’t have its sights set on the entire state of Texas.” My grip on the glass became tighter.
“Then you don’t have a choice but to make a stand.”
“I’ve made some additional inquiries, pissed some other people off too.” I snickered at the thought.
“That’s the man I know and love. Whatever happens, you can at least look yourself in the mirror.”
I grinned, shaking my head. “Who says I can’t now?”
“Good point, my friend. And what about Summer? You can tame a brat on a ranch much better than from some Marine base in Virginia.” Riley burst into laughter.
“Very funny. There’s nothing special going on with Summer. She’s simply under my charge.”
Polishing off his drink and easing the glass on the table, Riley rose to his feet. “That’s bull and you know it. You haven’t looked at another girl since Monica, let alone want to spank or fuck her. You’re hooked. Might as well accept that, Master.”
I gave him a nasty look before chuckling, my thoughts once again drifting to the beautiful waif with a surly attitude. “Taming her, huh?”
“Exactly what I said.”
“I really want to know everything you can find about her past and I mean everything. She mentioned she grew up in Florida. Maybe there’s something there.”
Riley narrowed his eyes. “What exactly are you looking for with this girl?”
“I’m not certain yet but do whatever it takes to find out every scrap of information.”
“That might cost you bucks.”
I looked him directly in the eyes. “It doesn’t matter. Whatever it takes.”
“Whew. You are hooked on this girl. I know, leave it alone,” he said before I could bark anything in retort. “Get some sleep, Master Sergeant. We have a busy day tomorrow.” Riley headed for the door. “I’m curious. Are you going to let her on the drill crew tomorrow? It’s crucial we repair the drill bit on the one or we’re never going to be able to fill the quota in time.”
“She hasn’t earned her place. You know that as well as I do, but Jared is in charge of tomorrow’s project. That call is up to him. If he says no, then she’ll sit this one out.” There were far too many questions racing in my mind.
His brow furrowing, he opened the door. “If he says no, I think you need to be the one telling her that. I heard she approached, or maybe I should say accosted Jared about her qualifications. Didn’t want to take no for an answer.”
That sounded just like her. “I’ll handle the situation if I need to.” I had hopes that my earlier discussion would help with her nasty attitude.
But I wasn’t holding my breath.
* * *
The day dawned overcast, ominous gray clouds swirling in the distance. The last damn thing we needed was another storm, cutting production even more. I’d heard an earful from the vice president of the oil company even before I’d had my first cup of coffee. Riley’s assertion was correct. Today was crucial. I headed down to the drill floor, shoving my hands into gloves.
Jared was one of my best engineers, his entire career having been spent on designing and keeping drill bits for oil rigs in working order. He stood going over the needed repairs, highlighting the various safety precautions required. Everything had to be coordinated perfectly. The potential for a massive oil leak hovered over our heads given the condition of the drill. Hell, no, that wasn’t going to happen.
I noticed Summer, standing with her arms folded, glaring at the engineer as if she was bored to death. The second she noticed me, she straightened her back, now at full attention. Even from twenty yards, I could see the warm blush creeping up her cheeks. Hmmm... Perhaps I was getting through to her.
As she tugged at the strand of loose hair, trying to keep it behind her ear, my jaw tightened. My muscles flexing, I took a deep breath when my cock throbbed. I was hungry all over again, my desire spinning almost out of control.
I wanted her soft raspberry-laced lips wrapped around my cock, cum spilling out of both sides of her mouth as she stared with wanton desire into the eyes of her daddy.
I wanted to bend her over, spanking her sternly with my thick, callused fingers until her bottom was cherry red.
And I wanted to throw her down onto the bed, thrusting my cock in and out of her tight little pussy.
But most of all, I wanted to find out what or who was threatening to derail her.
Damn it. I knew I’d have to move onto another project just to get her out of my mind.
I shifted back and forth from foot to foot, waiting until the engineer had finished his chat before heading in the man’s direction. The majority of the crew moved into high production mode, assuming their required positions.
Except for Summer.
She hung back, her eyes darting back and forth between the man in charge of the repair and myself. I could almost hear her mind churning, wondering if I was going to admonish her for her latest bad behavior. That would have to come later.
“Are we on schedule and ready, Jared?” I asked, barely able to take my eyes off her.
“I think we have a good handle on what’s going to happen,” Jared answered with almost no inflection in his voice.
“I’m not certain I like your lack of confidence.”
Jared tapped my shoulder. “Stop worrying, Jack. We have this under control.”
“If you say so. Who’s the lead welder today?”
“Mike with Summer assisting.”
A cord stuck in my throat. “You’re certain about that?” Mike had his share of arrogance problems, even if he was an excellent trainer. It was like mixing oil and water. I darted another look in her direction. She was certainly much more pensive than the day before.
“After all her swagger, we have to give her an opportunity. Just trust me.” His eyes flashed. “If she doesn’t work out, then we’ll assign her to another department.”
“I heard she gave you some trouble.”
Jared chuckled. “Word travels fast on this bucket of steel. She attempted to highlight her credentials. We’ll leave it at that, Jack. We were all young once. She’s got grit, that much I can tell you. I think she’s going to turn out to be one of our best welders. That is, if you’re going to stick around.”
“Boy, news does travel fast,” I said, grinning.
“You know Riley. Can’t keep his mouth shut, especially after a few whiskeys.”
I had to laugh. “I’m here now so call me with any issues.”
“Will do.”
I found myself lingering. There were several statements I wanted to say to my baby girl. No, she had to do this herself. Jared was right. I couldn’t be the protective papa bear right now, no matter how much I wanted to be. She’d disappeared by the time I turned around, no doubt readying herself for the task at hand. All I could do was wait for the outcome.
I kept busy over the next couple of hours, checking on the other crews then moving to my quarters to finish the latest report. Everything had been quiet, too quiet in my opinion, but at least that meant there’d been no hiccups so far. Tomorrow would be brutal with long hours. One week with the full crew before the first leave. One week to make up for over two.
I was just about finished when the alarm flashed on the wall, the yellow light quickly grabbing my attention. “What the fuck?” I was out of the cabin and shimmying down the various ladders within seconds, my feet pounding on the steel decking on the way to the platform. I didn’t need instinct to tell me what was going on; I could see the slick of oil covering the deck.
From where I stood, I could see nothing but chaos, half the riggers cussing up a blue streak. And smack in the middle of the melee?
Summer.
“That’s not what happened!” she hissed, shoving another crewmember a solid three feet backwards.
“I told you not to engage the fire at that moment and you did!” he snapped back. I could see blood caked in with the oil and dirt, even hints of what appeared to be a welding burn. This was the fucking last thing I needed.
“Stop. Just stop it, both of you!” Jared jumped in the middle. “We have it under control.”
“Do we have an active leak?” I barked, my voice teeming over every other within close proximity.
“No. Thank freaking God for that, but Mike is going to be out of commission for a couple days at least.” Jared shot his glare in Summer’s direction.
“What? I didn’t do anything!” she insisted. “I did exactly what Mike directed. I simply noticed an issue then he refused to allow me to help.”
“Is that true, Mike?” I asked, watching the guy’s eyes.
Mike was damn good at his job, but there was no way he enjoyed having a woman on his team.
“She’s lying. The bitch didn’t follow directions and nearly got me killed,” Mike growled.
That was all Summer needed to hear. Lunging forward, she took a hard swing, catching Mike squarely in the nose.
Then all hell broke loose.
Chapter Six
Summer
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
I was in so much trouble. This wasn’t just a little itty bitty kind of trouble either. I knew exactly what to expect was going to happen. I was going to receive an ass blistering reminder that I hadn’t followed the rules. I also knew I was to blame for a significant portion of the brawl, but not every bit. Nope. I refused to take the full brunt of punishment for something that Mike started. He’d cut corners. That much I knew about the job we’d been assigned.
“It’s not my fault!” I heard the whine in my voice and cringed, but Daddy hadn’t said a single word while dragging me away from the platform and toward the medical facilities. My entire hand and wrist hurt like a son of a bitch, the wrapping providing by the nurse only helping with the swelling. Served me right for smacking a hardheaded asshole square in the face.
The sprain would keep me from any further duty at least for a few days, something that would no doubt add to the number of severe swats my backside would receive.
“Please tell me what you’re thinking,” I asked, more in a begging manner than I cared to admit.
He didn’t even throw an admonishing look in my direction.
The man was angrier than the first day.
I wanted him to say something. Anything. Admonish me for my bad behavior. Chastise me for giving Mike a bloody nose. Something.
Silence.
“Please, Daddy, talk to me. Allow me to explain what happened.”
He kept his pace, moving through the corridors with giant strides, his hand firmly planted around my wrist. Boy, he was more pissed than the day before. This wasn’t going to bode well for me being able to sit down any time soon.
“You don’t want to hear what I have to say. Not right now,” he huffed through clenched teeth. “As far as what happened? You ended whatever the situation was by using physical violence. Jesus.”
