by Raina Wilde
BOUGHT BY THE RAUNCHY COWBOY
Raina Wilde
© Copyright 2016 by Raina Wilde—All rights reserved.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
Free Red-Hot Romance Novella!
Click here to receive Raised From the Flames, a FREE red-hot romance from Raina Wilde!
Table of Contents
Bought by the Raunchy Cowboy
Second Chance Seduction
Tempted by the Alpha Billionaire
Ride of Their Lives
Taming the Wild Snow Leopard
Midnight in Monaco
Raised from the Flames
Fighting for Love
Sealed Hearts
Claimed by the Alpha Bear
Forbidden Seduction
Claimed by the Enemy Highlander
Forbidden Highland Love
The Rebellious Highlander Bride
About the Author
Bought by the Raunchy Cowboy
Chapter 1
It was strange how life took these twists and turns sometimes. If you traveled back in time to last year's town fair and told 21-year-old Christy Robinson about her intentions for this year's town fair at age 22? Well, she would not have believed you, and yet here she was. As she looked in the funfair mirror at her distorted reflection, it raised a wry smile – but it wasn't the length of her torso or her squashed face that amused her. It was the depth of the cut of the red dress she was wearing, and the memory of the look on her father's face as he had seen her wearing it this morning.
“You're wearing that to the fair? ” he had asked, thick gray brows raised with a blend of surprise, dislike and judgment. “Looks a little much, Christy. ”
“It'll be fine, pops. It's the style nowadays. ”
In truth, though, her father had been right. Especially combined with Christy's beautiful big chest and her wide, womanly hips, it was quite overtly sexy, and that was Christy's deliberate intention. One year ago, she would really never have dreamed of humiliating her father this way. Back when they had lost Christy's mother, it had bonded them closer together; no matter how out of date her father's views were and how restrictive his mandate on her lifestyle, Christy would never have wished to turn those views into some kind of emotional torture device.
Now, however, all bets were off.
She turned as she caught sight of a figure in the mirror, recognizing the brazen, neon shade of pink in that figure's dress. In this town, that color belonged to one person only – and that person was her best friend Claire.
“Wow; you look incredible today, ” Claire told her, approaching with an appreciative expression. “Don't get me wrong. I love it – but I didn't think you'd ever wear something like that within 50 feet of Pastor Robinson. ”
“Neither did I, ” Christy admitted, looking down at the near-naked curve of her chest. “And you look amazing too – but he certainly didn't like it when I headed downstairs this morning. ”
“I can't imagine he did. What's the occasion? ”
Christy grinned, shrugging one shoulder. “Town fair. ”
Claire narrowed her eyes at her. She was far too big a fixture in Christy's life not to notice the mischief in her expression, and Christy knew that if she did manage to deceive her – which wasn't likely – then the ruse wouldn't last for long. Just as she expected, Claire didn't believe her for a moment. “I don't trust you, Christy Robinson. ”
“You shouldn't, ” she admitted. “But I can't tell you. If I do, you might try and talk me out of it. You're too sensible. ”
“Usually, you're too sensible, ” Claire insisted. “I'm the one who's been encouraging you to put yourself out there for years. Are you even on Tinder yet? ” She paused, leaning back a little to take another look at her. “Is this some kind of Tinder contact spotting outfit? Is this your version of 'I'll hold a rose, you'll be the one in the blue hat'? ”
Christy snorted, linking their arms together to lead her friend out of the room of mirrors. “Not even close. You'll see, though. I promise. I think you'll like it, maybe, once you get over the initial, um… shock. ”
“Now I'm really curious. ”
“Hey, ” she said, suddenly realizing something. “I've never actually asked, but… listen. If, as part of this huge sneaky glamor-puss plan, Pastor Robinson no longer wants me living in his house…? ”
“Oh, shut up, ” said Claire fondly, squeezing her arm. “You know you don't have to ask. You can stay with me for as long as you need to – though I might kill you first if I don't like what happens today. ”
“I'm telling you, I think you'll like it. ”
“But if you think I'd try to persuade you out of it. . . ”
They continued bickering affectionately as they wandered through the fair. Most places wouldn't really consider the event a huge deal, but in Blue Mine, Wyoming, it was about the biggest fixture of the year. Out here there were no corporate launches or big parties; people talked about family weddings for several years after they'd happened, and feuds and gossip endured for decades. It was a different life out here – the kind of life that many people ran away from after college.
Christy had never really had access to this option. After her mother passed away, she had felt a strong duty to stick by her father. After all, as the town's pastor, he was expected to be strong. Christy wasn't sure he could do that if he returned home to a house empty of both his wife and his daughter.
As it turned out, it seemed Pastor Robinson was perfectly capable of filling his own house. But that was another matter.
“Hey, ” Claire said, tugging her out of her silent reverie. “It's later than I thought. The dueling fiddles are about to start. Isn't your speech on behalf of the church fund scheduled right after that? ”
“Shit. You're right. ”
They hurried towards the main stage, standing off to the side so that they could stand together a little while longer. Soon, Christy would have to go backstage and prepare for her speech, and Claire would not be allowed to follow – but for now, she could stay in her friend's company and soothe herself with the sounds of some good music.
She could do this. She absolutely could – even if her 21-year-old self wouldn't have thought so. She just had to remain calm and take deep breaths.
Once again, however, Claire's long-term knowledge of her came in handy. She looked at Christy as the fiddling continued, taking note of her deep, even breathing, and folded her arms over the pink neoprene of her dress. “You're never this nervous. You've done this before. ”
“Not this, ” she told her. In doing so, she was confessing to her plans being structured around this speech; Claire knew fine well that she had asked for donations for the church before, and on just as big a platform. Their eyes met, and she knew that Claire was trying to read the answer out of her, but couldn't. Even Claire wasn't a mind-reader, after all – close as she was to it. “I'll be fine, ” she assured her. “I'd better go. Wait for me, after? ”
“Of course, ” Claire promised. The amount of concern on her face was surprising. Evidently, she really had no idea what Christy was about to do. Unlike her father, however, Christy knew that Claire had her best interests at heart. Her concern was simply because she didn't want to see her make a mistake. Claire just wanted the best for her, an
d Christy loved her for that.
Did she love her father, still? She didn't know anymore. As she passed through the small backstage area, the fiddling died out, and the announcer began thanking the performers. She didn't have much time left. She had to be absolutely sure this was what she wanted to do before she stepped out there. Any uncertainty and she'd probably chicken out – and she certainly couldn't take this back once the words had come out of her mouth.
Well. Her father couldn't take back his infidelity either. He should never have cheated on Christy's mother, especially while she was dying – and especially not as pastor of this town, preaching about integrity and trust and loyalty at the pulpit every week. Christy couldn't stand the hypocrisy. It had drained the life out of her to live near the man for the last few months, whether he had noticed or not – and she was ready to get out.
What right did he have to criticize the way anybody lived their lives, after betraying his own family and his marriage so thoroughly and at such a terrible time?
The idea stayed. This was definitely the right thing to do, and her mind was made up. As she heard the announcer deliver her introduction, she made her way onstage with steel in her resolve, even if her heart was beating like a jackhammer. She wished that she had a glass of water, but it was too late to ask for one now. It didn't matter. She could do this regardless.
She spotted Claire at the edge of the crowd, both curious and concerned. A few meters along, she could see her father smiling up at her from between the faces of other townsfolk she vaguely recognized.
Christy did not smile back.
“Thank you kindly, Mr. Announcer, ” said Christy, taking the microphone and the stage as her own. Though her mouth was dry, her words sounded surprisingly confident as they rang out across the crowd. “I appreciate that kind introduction – and you're right. My father did send me up to here to speak about the church. As our congregation will be aware of, the roof is still in dire straits after the storm a few months ago, and we are desperate to have it repaired. However, with that all said, you… all already know that the church needs money. I'm sure that's not news to you. So there's… something else I'd like to talk about instead. ”
She fixed on Claire's face in the crowd, patently ignoring her father's. She wondered if Christy had any idea what she was about to say. She doubted it. This wasn't exactly the kind of move you could predict – not even if you were as intuitive as Christy.
“It's still money, ” she said, eyes dancing across the faces of the rest of the crowd. This was a small town, so all the faces were familiar – even if she couldn't put a name to each of them. “But it's for something else entirely. In fact, I think… or in fact, I know I'm about to shock a good handful of you. ”
Christy wasn't a particularly confident person, and she had never been a performer, but she still got a kick out of the murmurs that passed through the crowd now – and the murmurs that had been going since she had stepped onto the stage in this incredible red dress. She knew how good she looked, and she also knew that this was probably one of the most important moments of her life. She took a second's pause to let that sink in. She felt alive right now. She felt electric.
“Last year, we lost my mother, ” she opened. “And I know you're all aware of what was going on in the months before she died. This is a small town, and word travels fast. I know it isn't news to any of you that my father was cheating on her. As my… beautiful, brave mother was battling cancer – slowly expiring, in need of his support… he was sleeping with another woman. Didn't even have the decency to wait until she died. ”
She heard the muffled sound of her father's voice, but couldn't make out what he said. She didn't care to. There were more important things to say – and she, Christy, had the microphone right now. Everybody could damn well listen to her.
“Well, he didn't just lose my mother last year, ” Christy told the crowd, brow furrowed. “He lost my respect. And with that respect goes a number of things. I don't feel I have to protect him or his reputation any more. I don't feel I owe him anything. And with that in mind, I'm here to tell you all today that I disown him as my father. ”
There were mixed reactions to this in the crowd. It was a small town, and she knew that not everybody would appreciate an announcement like this, especially in such stark defiance of honor thy mother and thy father – but so too did she have friends out there who had her back, and people who acknowledged that her father had done something to deserve this in the first place. He was not immune to criticism. Christy met Claire's eyes, and was thrilled to see them brimming with the same pride she felt. But would she still be as proud when Christy had finished?
“That's not all, ” she pressed on, before the murmuring could get too loud. “At the moment, I have made temporary alternative arrangements for where I will be living – but in the long-term, I have no interest in living here in this town with him any longer. As such, in order to enable myself to leave, I will be auctioning off my virginity to the highest bidder. ”
The crowd's murmuring rose to a roar, some people cheering and others indignant; she could see Claire's face pale with shock, and finally looked down with dislike at Pastor Robinson, who she no longer intended to call her father. The man looked like he was about to vomit. Christy hoped that he did. He deserved every inch of the upset, the distress, the frustration and the humiliation that this rained down on him.
“Any man who is interested can place his bid at my website – ChristyRobinson. com. I look forward to seeing what you can come up with. The bidding closes in one week. ”
With that, she abandoned both the microphone and the stage. As soon as she was out, the crowd swelled around her – but Claire's hand reached for hers, and they headed away from the stage and the crowd together, Christy's exhilarated grin practically splitting her face wide open.
She had done it – and the look on Pastor Robinson's face?
Priceless.
Chapter Two
Well, well, well. Wasn't this year's town fair a little more exciting than usual?
Graham Sullivan raised two thick, handsome eyebrows at the hullabaloo of the crowd around him, his smile thin and serious. Nobody paid attention to the loner cowboy at the back of the crush of people, so he was able to judge their frantic response uninterrupted, and that was exactly how Graham liked it.
Was it really so big of a deal? He couldn't believe that most of these people hadn't already guessed that Christy Robinson hated her father's guts. She and Graham were by no means close, and certainly didn't know each other very well, but Christy did deliver his groceries. It had only taken that light interaction, perhaps two seconds in length, every week or so for Graham to work it out himself. That girl had loved and respected her mother, and the shame of her father's infidelity had practically eaten her alive.
Granted, many of the old folks in this town barely even looked at the delivery girl, or cared to know how she felt – but still. Should it not have been obvious? Gossip in this town spread like wildfire, and anybody would shrivel up with bitterness under that kind of scrutiny – especially in circumstances like those.
Admittedly, the idea of selling her virginity was a little more incendiary – if she was even serious about that, which Graham suspected she wasn't. The girl clearly wanted to get revenge on her father, and she had certainly done that. People would be talking about this for years, and about his infidelity all over again. Whether Christy would actually follow through and sleep with the highest bidder was another question entirely. Was the girl even really a virgin?
She was beautiful enough. With tits like that, Graham wouldn't be surprised if, in truth, she had spent her high school years teasing the cocks of all the football players at school – and with full knowledge of what to do when she finally had one in her hands.
Maybe that was wishful thinking.
Needless to say, Christy Robinson wasn't the only lonely one in this town. Graham had been married until recently, and these days he had no int
erest in going through the whole rigmarole again – but that didn't mean his sexual impulses were dead. He couldn't exactly announce it to the world, as he knew fine well that being openly promiscuous would be a foolish way to lose business to more traditional farmers. On that note, he could identify with her desire to get out of a town like this, too.
Frankly, he just felt happy for this young girl that she had the confidence to stand up and do this under her own thunder. She was solving her own problems, and that initiative wasn't worth nothing – especially not paired with an ass like that.
Alright. Maybe there was still a little residual fear of more heartbreak holding him back from looking for love, but he was a very busy man, in any case. This town fair was the first time he'd taken a day off in just about a month, and as soon as he got home he'd have more work to do on the ranch. He simply didn't have time for dating.
In that case, perhaps a little investment in the pastor's daughter would be a good way to cure his loneliness…?
No. Surely not. If he wanted to continue to keep his sex life his own business in this town, then he could take no part in this bidding war. He may be able to afford the girl now, but what about five years down the line, if 40% of his business left on the basis of the gossip that would inevitably follow? It just wasn't a wise move, and he had to accept that right now before he developed any crazy ideas.
“See, ” came a familiar voice from the other side of him. “I told you it'd be worth coming down for the fair. ”
Graham's smile grew, turning to meet his sister Georgia's own wicked grin. “You didn't know this was going to happen, did you? ”
“No, ” she admitted. “But something dramatic always does. Now you won't feel out of the loop when you hear folks talking for the next two years – so you're welcome. ”
“Yes, ” said Graham, arms folded and turning back to the crowd, his wry smile full of fondness for her. “Thank you for dragging me out here to watch the pastor die of shame. ”