The next two cowboys missed out on their starting positions, which broke the rules so they got no score. One more got bucked off and then it was Rowdy's turn. His horse was called Power Ball, which seemed quite appropriate for the new friend of a Mega Millions winner. Gretchen hoped it would give him luck.
He had some trouble with the horse in the chute, getting his hand positioned just right on the rigging. The horse leaned into one side of the chute making it hard for Rowdy to get his leg down on the right side. But eventually, the horse cooperated, and Rowdy gave the nod. The horse took off like a bolt of lightning with one mighty leap, a twist to the right and then coming off all his hooves in a jump. He gyrated to the left and then the right, bucked high and low and Rowdy jounced around on top, holding on for dear life. His head bounced back against the horse's back and Gretchen was sure his neck would break or he'd have a concussion, but he kept hanging on, his free hand waving around in the air for balance and not touching the horse, rigging, or himself. It was the longest eight seconds Gretchen could ever remember.
Rowdy didn't get bucked off, and ‘stuck the landing’, just like a gymnast. Although a great get-off wouldn't win him more points with the rodeo judges, it did get him more points with the crowd and the audience went wild. When the score was announced by the judges, they went even wilder: ninety-two points. Amy leapt around, not really understanding what such a great score really meant except for her interpretation of the behavior of all the adults around her. Gretchen was as wild as everyone else, leaping to her feet and screaming Rowdy's name. Even Bob came to his feet and stomped his boots with a somewhat self-conscious "Ya-hoo!" Melody jumped up and clapped, calling out, "Go, Rowdy!"
There were only a few last contestants after Rowdy, but none did as well, and finally the scores came in for the night. Rowdy had won, with Bear coming in second. It had been a great evening so far, but they still had the rest of the rodeo to enjoy. As they all sat back down, Gretchen's mind was spinning about how proud she was to know Rowdy. Only a few times did she consider her upcoming spanking–a spanking given by the same hard, powerful hand which had held onto the rigging on the bucking horse. When she did think of it, shivers ran up and down her spine.
As the rodeo finished up, Amy tugged on her sleeve. "Mommy, the animals look mad. Are the cowboys hurting them?"
"You mean because they buck?"
Amy nodded. "They keep trying to get away from the cowboys and throw them on the ground."
"Well, the bucking animals are chosen because they love to buck. They jump around when they're in their fields and have a great time doing it. The rancher comes along and picks out the ones that jump around the most, the highest, and the squirmiest, and those animals get to come to the rodeo and test their bucking ability on the cowboys. As you saw, the horses and bulls often win."
"Animals are smart."
"These animals can be tricky."
"Okay." Reassured, she was on to the next topic. "Can we take a picture with the clown?"
Gretchen raced over to Rowdy and flung her arms around him as he approached her party in front of the arena entrance. "Rowdy! You were awesome! Amazing! I'm so happy for you!"
He laughed and hugged her tight, then, mindful of Amy who had hurried over beside her mother to hug Rowdy's legs, he gave Gretchen a kiss on the forehead and a personal squeeze. When he reached down and lifted Amy into his arms, the little girl gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"You won, Rowdy!" she shouted. "You won! I'm glad you're my friend."
He chuckled, smiling from ear to ear. "Thank you, peanut. I'm glad we're friends too."
Gretchen had stepped back a few inches but watched how her daughter and Rowdy connected. It made her feel more confident about her decision to carry on with the relationship, even if some parts were uncomfortable.
Bob gave Rowdy a hearty handshake and congratulated him. Melody did too, smiling her soft smile throughout.
"I could eat an elephant with barbeque sauce," Rowdy pronounced. "You all up for late-night barbeque?"
Melody spoke up, regret in her voice. "I'm afraid Little Miss and Miss Daisy need to get back to the suite and to bed."
"No!" Amy shouted. "I don't wanna go to bed!"
"It's past your bedtime, sweetie," Gretchen reminded the little girl. "We can celebrate more tomorrow. I guarantee we'll still be happy."
"Promise?"
"Yes. I promise."
Amy seemed to think this over for a few seconds, then she looked at Rowdy who still held her in his arms. "Will you celebrate with us, too?"
He looked at Gretchen, who nodded gently. "You betcha!"
"Okay," Amy said. "Can I pet a horse?"
Gretchen looked over at Rowdy, hoping the request was not an imposition.
"I'll bet one of my friends will let you pet his horse. You don't want to pet a wild horse like the one I rode tonight."
"Would he throw me on the ground?"
Rowdy nodded sagely.
"I can pet a nice horse."
"I'll make sure the horse is nice, peanut."
"Yay!"
"Say thank you, Amy," Gretchen reminded her daughter.
Amy kissed Rowdy's cheek again. "Thank you, Rowdy."
He put the girl down and Melody took her hand. "You're welcome, Amy."
"You know, I'll bet we can get barbeque at the hotel, or they can find it for you," Gretchen offered, well aware Bob would want to supervise another outing to a restaurant. She wanted private time with Rowdy but Bob would be relentless in keeping her safe from those people he hadn't vetted himself. Bob was on guard throughout their meeting at the arena, scanning the crowd around them rather than watching the interplay among his charges.
Rowdy took her offer in good stride, though he must have felt it restrictive. He probably had a good barbeque place in mind. If he did, Gretchen would order from there and have it delivered. Their limo driver had done it many times.
"The three of us can hop in my truck," Rowdy suggested, indicating Gretchen and Amy. Bob and Melody exchanged looks.
"Don't start, Bob," Gretchen warned the big man. "You and Melody can ride in the limo behind us."
"It's not as safe," he pointed out.
"Bob," Melody offered, "I think it'll be okay. We'll be right behind them. Besides, Amy really wants to ride in Rowdy's truck."
"Yes! Truck!" Amy shouted.
Bob sighed. "Okay. But we'll be right behind you. If you find anything suspicious going on, you call me on your cellphone."
"Okay," Gretchen agreed.
"I'll keep an eye out," Rowdy offered. "These two are precious cargo for me, too."
Bob did his best imitation of a smile as he nodded.
The limo was waiting, and Bob and Melody climbed in, then tailed Rowdy, Gretchen and Amy along the street and into the horse trailer-filled gravel lot behind the arena. They found Rowdy's big truck but soon realized they didn't have Amy's child seat.
Rowdy went to the limo nearby and got the seat then returned to the truck, installed it, with only a few softly spoken swear words–the thing took an engineering degree to master. Then Gretchen got Amy situated in the back all safe and sound, before Rowdy helped her into the passenger seat and drove them off the lot.
They chatted a little about the rodeo as they drove along, but it was light, sparse banter. Gretchen thought maybe Rowdy was about as nervous about their upcoming night as she was.
But soon, uneventfully, they made it to the hotel.
Gretchen had wormed the barbeque restaurant's name out of Rowdy on the trip to the hotel, and she hurried to the limo driver to have him go pick up an order of ribs and all the fixings.
Once they were ensconced in the suite, Gretchen kicked off her boots and said her good nights to Melody and Amy, then turned to Bob.
"We'll be okay alone," she told her guard. "You can go to your room or out to the hotel casino, or whatever you want to do."
He stared at her for several moments. "You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
Giving Rowdy a stern look, he nodded at the younger man in a definitive way, turned and went to his room.
"Wow," Gretchen said, taking a seat on the plush, leather sofa. "You convinced him. How'd you do it?"
"We had a little man-to-man talk. He's still wary, but I think he'll come around."
"I'm impressed."
"Don't be. He's actually reasonable if you don't back down too fast."
"I'll remember." She smiled and patted the sofa near her. "Are you going to stand there all night?"
"Do I have all night?"
Gretchen felt her face flame at the insinuation. "Um…"
He sat down and put his hat aside. "Just funnin' you. I have ground rules, too."
"Oh? What are they?"
"After dinner I'll tell you. Are you sure your driver knows where to go?"
"He has GPS like everyone else."
There was a call and although Rowdy gave her a quizzical look, Gretchen didn't answer it. Bob soon stuck his head out of his room. "Dinner's here. I told Jeff to drop it off with the hotel guard. Want me to get it?"
"No, thanks," Rowdy answered. "I'll get it."
"Good enough. Good night."
Rowdy nodded and headed toward the doors to the suite, retrieved the food and brought it back to the dining area in the suite. It was as well-appointed as the rest of the place, with a glass-topped table and six armed, comfortable chairs. The food smelled so wonderful, Amy had to really put the brakes on her appetite, or she'd make a pig of herself. But Rowdy ate big helpings of everything and then sat back with a satisfied expression.
"That's better."
Gretchen knew the time for her spanking was upon her, so she said nothing, too nervous to speak. She was afraid she'd remind him of the reason they needed to be alone, just in case he forgot.
He seemed to read her mind. "I haven't forgotten."
"Oh."
"You look damn sexy in those tight jeans, ma'am."
"You're changing the subject."
"Do you want me to discuss how good it's going to look to me to have your sweet little bottom turned up on my lap?"
Heat washed over her. "I don't think so."
He smiled. "Maybe you'd like to discuss how my hand is going to touch you before I give you the smacks you deserve?"
"Oh, God."
"I think we ought to discuss whether it's going to make you cry with stings or moan with pleasure."
"Rowdy…"
"Well, maybe the time for discussion is over. Let's go in the bedroom."
"The b-bedroom?"
"Did you want to have your spanking where anyone could just walk by and see it or hear it? Your bedroom is a private space."
"Right. Of course, you're right." She got up slowly and started putting the used take-out containers back in their empty bag. Rowdy reached across the table and took her hand. "This suite comes with a butler, right?" She nodded, having forgotten the fact. "Then let him or her do this tomorrow. Nothing's left to spoil and I guarantee you won't attract rats in this place."
Sighing, Gretchen allowed him to lead her into the living area. He turned and raised a dark eyebrow at her. She knew what he meant, so she pointed to the door on the far side of the suite, away from the other two bedrooms. Her room. Her bedroom. Her belly tightened.
They made their way to the room and Rowdy opened the door to the expansive room. It was ultra-large, with a double king-sized bed, black lacquer tables and off-white club chairs. Soft lighting came from both can lights in the ceiling and several table lamps set to a dim setting. There was a sixty-inch television on one wall, and various chests of drawers and black tables strewn about. The bed was made with a fluffy comforter topped with a black and off-white bamboo-patterned counterpane. The pillows were black satin-covered and plentiful. There were floor-to-ceiling picture windows on one wall, with a view of the Las Vegas strip all lit up and flashy as could be. A door to the bathroom was on the wall opposite the windows. Gretchen didn't feel it necessary to tell him there was a four-person jacuzzi tub in there, an eight-by-eight marble shower with several rain-type shower heads, gold plated fixtures on the two sinks, another TV, and two toilets and a bidet behind their own doors. Overall, it was a luxurious room, and Gretchen still hadn't become accustomed to luxury so it was kind of embarrassing to introduce her room to Rowdy.
"Nice," he said with one drawn-out syllable. "Well, I could stare out the window all night, princess, but I think I'll stare at something a little closer to home tonight." He sauntered over to the side of the bed closest to the one-way windows and sat down on the counterpane, testing the squishiness of the bed as he did. He bounced a little and grinned. "This beats my room over at the Wynn all to pieces." He patted his lap. "Come on over and take your medicine."
She dragged her bare feet until she was in front of him. "Are you sure we have to do this?"
"Gosh no, we don't have to do this. I can thank you for the barbeque and be on my way. This is totally voluntary, Gretchen. It's got to be understood, it's a condition of continuing our relationship. If you never do anything worth punishing, you'll never be punished. But, I have to warn you, you might like this and ask me for more sometime."
"You must be kidding."
"Why don't we find out?"
Gretchen struggled to find her balance on the top of his thighs, but he helped and then held her steady with his left hand, leaving his right, powerful hand to do the business. His jeans were warm from his body heat, and she could smell the leather of his tan belt. He stroked her bottom with his palm, warm where it traveled over her tightly denim-clad cheeks, down her thighs and back up again. Gretchen was beginning to feel more like this was foreplay and less like there was any punishment involved, and then the thought occurred to her he'd suggested she might like this. How would he know if women liked or disliked spankings? Just how many women had he spanked?
The thought came and went in the blink of an eye as Rowdy raised his hand and gave her a whack the likes of which made her rise up. "Ow!"
"You'll want to keep your voice down, princess," he told her, rubbing her bottom again.
"But it hurt!"
"It's not going to get better." He smacked again, another three times.
Gretchen put a knuckle between her teeth and bit down a little to keep from crying out. It really stung. He paused to rub again. That part was nice. It was sexy. But then he spanked her again, this time six or seven times. She started squirming on his lap, feeling her frilly green shirt ride up, exposing even more of her, but he held her steady.
"Hush now, darlin'." There were more slaps, too many to keep track of, but then something extraordinary happened. Something turned over in her middle and the pain took on a different color; it became intimate, loving, making her think of a hard man fulfilling his role in a sexual encounter, pounding into her hard. The thought took away a lot of the ouches and stings, and her pussy started feeling inflamed and wet. Every smack made her ouch and smart, but the pain was all part of the foreplay. She now realized just how right her initial impression of the act was with his hand smoothing her bottom. A thing he began to do again as the spanking wound down. Although her bottom was hot and prickly, she was enjoying the sensation of his hand on her behind. She squirmed a little on his lap, barely rubbing her pussy against his hard thighs, but an electric jolt raced through her middle like the beginning of an orgasm. His hand was still moving on her behind, her thighs, back up again.
"You're not crying out anymore, princess. I hear little kitten purrs from you."
"I, uh…"
"Told ya."
"I don't like being spanked!"
"Liar." He gave her another mighty whack. "Don't lie to me, Gretchen. And in this case, you're lying to yourself as well."
Confused, hot-bottomed, and more than a little mad at herself, Gretchen began to cry softly. He stopped stroking her behind and helped her sit up in his lap, hugging her close to his chest. Rowdy smelled like grassy s
oap and light, masculine musk. He must have showered after his event.
"It's okay," he whispered. "I've got you."
"I don't understand. What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing's wrong with you. You're a sensual woman. Sometimes we just like things for no good reason. It might not make any sense. Just accept those parts of yourself."
She sniffled and he reached into his back pocket for a kerchief. "Thank you. I'm very embarrassed. You hardly know me and here I am, pretty much coming in your lap."
He squeezed her. "I'm honored to know I could bring a reaction out of you."
They were silent for a time, him holding her close and she, enjoying the cuddles.
"It's about time for me to go," he told her. "I'm not going to stay all night."
Disappointment shot through her like an arrow. She didn't know what she was expecting, couldn't have known her reaction to the spanking beforehand, but now that she had been turned on, she wanted more than his departure. She didn't know how to ask for it, though, or even if she should. Certainly, it would have taken more courage than she could muster right then.
He helped her stand, stood himself and then gathered her up and kissed her. This time it was not a public kiss meant for a G-rated gathering. This one was purely adult. Gretchen felt herself rising up on her toes to reach him better, pulling him down toward her, running her fingers through the curls near the nape of his neck. His breath was sweet, his tongue strong, exploring her mouth without hesitation. She gave him as good as she was getting. Maybe a stunning kiss could be the way she convinced him to stay, without saying anything embarrassing or pleading with need.
As their kiss broke, he breathed against her lips. "I'll see you again tomorrow? If you come by the arena stables just after lunch, I can probably get a horse for Amy to pet. Might even put her in a saddle and let her sit there for a few minutes. Do you think she'd like that?"
"If she's not afraid of the horse, she'd love it."
"I'll find her a gentle horse. I can think of several friends' horses I might borrow for those few minutes."
He pulled away from her.
Rowdy Page 4
