by Ashley Shay
“You can take the hellcat with you. Just be sure Carly has a relaxing afternoon so she’s in the mood for a bit of wooing tonight.”
“So we’re keeping her?” Dusty asked.
“You bet your ass we’re keeping her,” Tyler said.
Behind him, Cougar grunted, but Tyler ignored it.
* * * *
As soon as Carly and Suzie entered the corral, Suzie darted toward a handsome, slender cowboy with sun-kissed skin and dark hair. He caught Suzie by her arms and the little girl soared up and down, up and down, as he whirled her round and round in head-spinning circles. Suzie’s hat flew off and bounced behind her, held only by the string. The man’s hat flew off and sailed through the dust that swirled up around their feet. His long hair spread out behind him like a black fan. Carly got dizzy just watching them, but Suzie’s shriek of laughter assured she was having the time of her life. When the young man plopped her back on her feet, Suzie staggered around the corral for a few seconds, and the man held out his hand.
“We didn’t get to meet last night, ma’am. I’m David Littlefox.”
She reached out blindly, murmuring something about being pleased to meet him, and her hand was enveloped in a strong, warm handshake. She was staring. She couldn’t help it. Studying his high cheekbones and wide-set liquid-chocolate eyes, she had no doubt this man’s roots lay in the original Native Americans. She’d no way of knowing which tribe because Texas had been home to many. Before she could stop herself, she found herself blurting out, “What tribe are you from?”
David smiled. “Cherokee, ma’am. Family’s been here almost two hundred years.”
“I didn’t realize the Cherokees had roots in Texas.”
“Didn’t really,” David said. “The Texans didn’t want us here, but my ancestors fought like hell to stay here. They even hid out in the hills.” He gave her a wink. “Worked out okay. My family owns a lot of land up that way now.”
Suzie pressed David’s hat into his hand and turned her face up toward him. “We gonna stand here talkin’ all day?”
“Nope.” He raked his hair back from his face and slapped the dark cowboy hat on his head. “You ready to ride, kitten?”
At her eager nod, David led them across the corral, talking about the various horses that stood near the barn door. Carly listened, trying to take it all in, but being a city girl, the most she knew about horses was that they had four legs and people rode them. David lifted Suzie onto the back of what he called a “small” mare, and the little girl settled comfortably into the saddle. The horse looked anything but small, and Suzie looked like a porcelain doll in a pink cowgirl suit sitting on top of the animal. She also looked like she would topple to the ground in a stiff wind, but her tiny hands took the reins with confidence. Carly held her breath as Suzie leaned forward, patting the mare’s honey-colored neck. A buzz of anxiety tightened Carly’s stomach.
David vaulted into his saddle and, with a gentle tug on the reins, steered his animal across the corral. Suzie’s animal trotted behind him dutifully. Carly stared for a long moment before she sprang into action and raced after them, holding her hat down on her head.
“Wait!”
The horse halted at the open gate, and David swiveled his wiry body toward her. Carly slid to a stop in the dust as Suzie rode up next to her instructor and huffed. Carly was now effectively trapped between two huge animals. She pressed closer to David’s horse. Better to be trampled by one horse than two.
“Isn’t that a big horse for her? Aren’t you afraid she’ll fall off?” She glanced over her shoulder toward the mare that stood waiting patiently for her to ruin their day.
The cowboy burst out laughing, and Carly’s mouth dropped open. He pressed his lips together, trying to contain the snickers he couldn’t seem to control then touched the brim of his hat. “No disrespect, ma’am, but this here little kitten’s been riding since she was old enough to sit up. Probably even before.”
Carly glanced back at Suzie who pursed her lips and simply stared at her. “But she looks so tiny.”
“She might be tiny, but I’m bettin’ she could handle nearly any mount on the ranch.”
To prove his statement, Suzie gave an impish grin and swatted the mare’s rump with her hat. Carly nearly had a heart attack when the horse took off at a gallop with Suzie laughing joyously.
“Can’t let her get too far ahead. Ty’s orders.” David gave his hat another tap and nodded. “Enjoy your day, ma’am.” He pressed his feet against the horse, and the animal bolted out of the corral as David scrambled to catch up with his charge.
Sure her heart had skipped several beats, Carly pressed a hand over her chest, watching as they tore off across the clearing.
Another cowboy—just as attractive as David, but probably of Irish descent with his shock of red hair—came out of the stable leading a seemingly docile black mare with a white patch between her eyes. “This here’s Onyx. She’s a good horse. Real steady.” The man looked Carly up and down. “You ever been on a horse before?”
“No,” Carly admitted. She reached out to pat the horse’s neck, and Onyx jerked her head up, causing Carly to nearly stumble as she jumped away.
“Easy, girl,” the man said.
“Yes,” Carly said, reaching toward the animal then pulling back. “Easy, girl.”
“I was talkin’ to you,” the man said with a chuckle. Carly felt heat burst through her face. “Don’t be skittish around her.” The cowboy took Carly’s hand and placed it on the horse. “Onyx is a good girl, but horses know when you’re scared. They’ll take advantage.”
“He’s right,” Shane said, coming up to stand beside Carly. “Why don’t we take a ride together so you can get used to the feel of the horse?”
The ranch hand glanced between them. “Need me to saddle up Tumbleweed for you, Shane?”
“No thanks, Red. Onyx will do.”
“We’re riding together?” Carly asked.
Shane gave her a wide smile. “You mind sharin’ a saddle with me, darlin’?”
“No,” she said, glancing dubiously at the horse. “I’m just wondering how we’ll both fit.”
“Piece of cake,” Shane said.
He laughed and swung her up on the saddle, easily mounting and dropping himself behind her. He slid one arm around her stomach, drawing her back against him. His leg muscles bunched and flexed around her as the horse broke into a gentle trot. Carly stiffened but relaxed when Shane pulled her closer. She had to admit that being this close to Shane might be worth the price of a broken arm if the horse decided to throw her.
Oh my. She hadn’t realized rubbing against the pommel to the canter of the horse would feel quite this good. Shane tightened his arms around her and seemed to lean forward slightly, pushing her just a little tighter against the leather. Carly bit her lip to keep from groaning with pleasure.
“I thought you might be the kinda woman who’d like to ride.” His voice was a husky whisper spoken against her ear, sending shivers right down to her pussy. “You’re a natural, Carly.”
“I’m not doing anything.” Carly’s cheeks flamed at the breathless quality in her voice and the masculine chuckle it invoked from Shane.
“Oh, now, honey, I sure wouldn’t say that.” His Texas drawl sounded a little breathless too. “Seems to me you’re doing a hell of job riding this horse.” He pressed his face into the tendrils of hair resting on her shoulder. “You smell delicious. That scent makes me…want to purr.”
Carly shivered, and after a few minutes of rubbing, she felt a bit like purring herself. Was it a sin to lust after your employer? Was Shane technically her employer? He hadn’t hired her after all. Maybe it would be okay to flirt a bit. Surely no harm could come of that, and if Ty found out, she thought maybe Shane would take the heat.
Shane moved forward another inch. His hard cock nudged against her backside, and her pussy pressed harder against the pommel.
“Oh!”
Another shiver ra
n down her spine, and her inner muscles clenched.
Shane’s warm breath caressed her ear. “Everything okay, darlin’? You’re not uncomfortable, are you?”
The lower half of her body vibrated, eager for more contact, and she angled her hips slightly, trying to get maximum contact. She held back a moan and forced herself to answer.
“N–no,” she stuttered. “Everything is—”
Shane pressed his hips tighter against her then withdrew. He pushed forward again, and the swollen ridge of his cock slid over her butt with a sensuous rhythm. She felt a bit of moisture dampen her panties. When he pressed forward again and held her tight against the pommel, she took advantage of it and ground her clit against the wood. Three seconds later, her breath caught in her throat. Her body shuddered and bucked against the pommel as a fast and furious orgasm ripped through her with the power of a lightning strike. She froze while the surge tore through her, her nerve endings sparking and sizzling with the most intense pleasure she’d experienced in recent memory, or maybe any memory. As the tide crested then waned, she slumped forward.
“Oh God,” she murmured.
“Something wrong, Carly?”
She shook her head, and closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath, savoring the tiny pulses flaring through her pussy and clit. Each one caused her body to twitch, and when a hard twitch caused her clit to brush the pommel, another orgasm burst through her. She flung her head back, and it came to rest on Shane’s shoulder. Her breath stuttered, and her body quaked as the orgasm rippled through her lower body, her pussy contracting on emptiness. What she wouldn’t give for a length of hard cock.
As though reading her mind, Shane cupped his hand over her pussy and nestled her tighter against him, leaving no doubt he had enough to satisfy her in as many ways as she’d like. She sat still for a moment, her body quiet against his, relishing the sense of complete serenity that had moved through her body, relaxing every muscle and calming every nerve. After the last few weeks of intense stress, that might have been just what the doctor ordered. She should have thought of it sooner.
“Oh God,” she murmured again.
“That good, huh?”
“Hmm-mmm…I feel so—” She froze then bolted upright. Her clit rubbed against the pommel again, and another one of those wonderful, beautiful, exhilarating sensations clutched at her pussy. She jerked backward, but that was a big mistake because Shane’s cock pressed temptingly against her backside, reminding her life was short and she should seize the moment.
“Feel so what?”
“Sick. Sorry. Sad. Shameful. And any other S word you can think of.” She dropped her head into her hands and groaned. Shane pulled her hat from her head and smoothed a hand through her hair.
“No remorse now, darlin’. That was a beautiful sight.”
“I’m going to die of embarrassment. Right here. Right now.”
“That would be a pity then,” Shane said. “A pretty woman like you dying before I could show you I can do better than that.”
She lifted her head and peeked at him from the corner of her eye. “What?”
“It looked good,” Shane said. “At least as good as you can get on the pommel of a saddle, but…”
She twisted toward him. “But what?”
Shane leaned closer, and his mouth grazed across her lips. “I’m thinking a man’s mouth, my mouth, might do a bit better.” His green eyes gazed into hers, a tiny hint of amusement sparking there, as though offering her a dare. “What do you say, honey? Ready to give me a taste?”
Carly swallowed hard then gave him a small smile. She whispered, “Yes.”
“I know just the place.”
Shane put her hat back on her head and turned Onyx toward a strand of trees on a distant hilltop.
Chapter Eight
Shane’s choice of location took Carly’s breath away. From the hilltop, she could see all of the surrounding countryside. A small grove of cottonwoods provided shade, and a stream gurgled lazily past clumps of wildflowers to the valley below. In the distance, the Lucas homestead looked like a dollhouse nestled in green velvet.
“We call this Cotton Creek.”
“It’s lovely.” Carly turned her head up to look at Shane.
He leaned closer, capturing her mouth with a gentle kiss. “Not as lovely as you.”
Carly melted back into his arms. It was probably the worst thing she could say, but she said it anyway. “Kiss me again, Shane.”
Shane twisted her gently in the saddle and put some tongue into it this time, dragging the kiss out forever, and ever, until Carly felt lightheaded. “Wow,” she breathed softly.
“That’s just the beginning.” Shane dismounted and held his arms up for Carly. She eased into his hands, letting him lift her from the saddle as easily as he might a child. Her stomach tightened at the strength in those arms. She couldn’t think of any men in Washington, DC, who could have lifted her so easily. Shane let her slide down his body as he lowered her to the ground. “Do you want to wade in the creek and cool your feet off?”
“That sounds marvelous.” Carly hadn’t realized how hot a pair of leather boots could get. “How deep is the water?”
“About waist high in the deepest part.” Shane grinned when Carly rubbed the seat of her jeans. “Need to cool something else off, darlin’?”
Carly tilted her head up to look at him, squinting against the bright sun. “I thought you volunteered to do that for me, cowboy.”
“No, ma’am. I volunteered to heat things up a bit, not cool them down.”
Carly’s stomach clenched at the look in his eyes. She had no doubt he could heat things up for her. “Let’s take a dip in the water and freshen up,” Carly suggested. Her tongue flicked over her bottom lip when she thought of him shucking out of his jeans to stand bare-assed naked in front of her. As if he could read her thoughts, Shane unbuttoned the top of his jeans and pulled the T-shirt he was wearing over his head to reveal six-pack abs that rippled with every movement.
He ran a finger down her cheek until her eyes snapped back to his. “One of us is a little overdressed here.”
“Oh sure.” Carly lifted the hat off her head in a daze and willed Shane to finish unbuttoning his jeans.
“Here, darlin’, you need a little help.” Shane’s masculine fingers attacked the first button on her shirt. Pulling the cotton material apart, he gave a low whistle of appreciation at the barely there lace bra. “You are one beautiful woman, Carly Barnes.” He lowered his head into her cleavage, kissing the soft white mounds of flesh until they turned pink from the scratch of the stubble on his chin.
“You smell good too.” Shane raised his head to look her in the eye. “Good enough to eat, Carly.” His finger moved her blouse aside, revealing the hard tip of her nipple straining against the lace of her bra. To prove his point, he took her nipple in his mouth, lace and all. He made a “mmm-mmm-good” sound as he drew the swollen nub between his teeth for a playful bite.
Carly felt him to the core of her pussy. She was wet with need. Her heart rate accelerated into overdrive, and her breathing grew harsh. Shane trailed his fingers down the center of her stomach until he reached the waistband of her jeans. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve got hidden inside there.” He gave a little tug on the jeans, and the button popped open as if by magic. Delaying the moment of truth, Shane kissed her once again before he worked the tab of her zipper down to reveal a tiny wisp of lace panties.
“Matched set.” He spread the jeans apart so he could appreciate the view. “Carly, darlin’, I may just keep you up here all to myself. I don’t think I’ll share you with my brothers.”
Holy cow, all the brothers? Was he serious? Was that even an option? The idea filled her with both exhilaration and fear, but if she had to be honest, it was mostly exhilaration. The thought of four beautiful brothers being all hers was the best gift she could ever imagine. Carla Barnhardt would have had a panic attack even thinking it, but Carly Barnes… Well, C
arly Barnes liked the idea. A lot.
Despite her excitement at the possibility, Carly blushed. She really hoped she stopped doing that soon.
She put her hands on his shoulders to steady herself when he leaned over to pull the boots from her feet. He tugged the boots off, tossed them aside, and ran his hands up the sides of her legs to her hips. When he reached the waist of her jeans, he tugged them down, taking the lacy panties along with the denim.
Carly could feel the muscles of his shoulders rippling under her hands as he undressed her. Shane felt rock hard beneath her fingertips, and she noticed his muscles weren’t the only thing that was rock hard about him.
He stopped for a moment and scented the air like man sniffing a pie baking in the oven. He shut his eyes, inhaling deeply, and ran his tongue over his lips as if the scent was delicious. “You sure do smell sweet. I can’t get enough of you.”
Carly didn’t think she could smell that good after her ride, but Shane seemed to be mesmerized by her scent. He leaned his face in close to her, and for one heart-stopping moment, she thought he might drop to his knees and bury his face in her pussy.
Not before I have a chance to freshen up in the stream.
As if he could read her mind, Shane backed away from her and peeled his jeans down to reveal a hard, thick cock standing at attention. Carly wondered what it would be like to ride that beast to the finish line.
“Let’s get in the water right now, Carly, if you don’t want me to take you right here, right now, and on the hard ground.”
She had to think about her answer. Maybe the right-here-right-now stuff on the hard ground wouldn’t be so bad.
Taking her hand, Shane led her to the stream and helped steady her as she stepped into the cold, clear water. The rocks were slippery, but after a moment, she found her balance and waded deeper into the refreshing coolness.
Shane kept hold of her arm as she ventured into the waist-high water. “Look.” He pointed to a beautiful eagle that had landed in a tree several yards away. “He’s a big one.”
