“This is for your own good, Angel. The Lord knows your brothers have given you your own way for far too long. Chase is gone, but it seems Matthew and Grant are taking over, letting you get away with murder.”
“Landon, so help me…” She was ready to scream. Maybe he had a tiny, little point. It infuriated her that they didn’t listen to her, didn’t do as she said. She wasn’t accustomed to compromising or giving in, not when she was the baby of the family and only female for generations. Angel was used to being the center of attention, but it got boring fast when everyone was willing to oblige her. She blamed some of her attitude and rebellion on the inner need for someone to be real with her. Like Clay and Landon were right now.
When her body began to scream out in protest from being forced into the unnatural position over Clay’s knees, he helped her to her feet. She immediately reached down to pull up her panties, nearly tripping over the jeans coiled at her knees when she twisted around in search of Landon. When she zipped up, her ass ached from where he’d spanked her.
“Run off now, little one,” said Clay. “You’ve been punished good enough.”
Angel was seething. Heat crept up her collar, not because she was angry that he bent her over his knee but because he stopped so abruptly. She needed far more lessons in manners than a few spanks.
Chapter Five
Landon would be lying if he said he hadn’t envisioned Angel naked and under him. But she was off the menu. Not only were her brothers more overprotective than a mother hen, but Angel was his friend. Betraying their friendship wouldn’t go over well, especially with her abrasive attitude. She’d cuss him out and knock him a new one.
He did like Clay’s style. There weren’t many men who fought back against Angel, refusing to humor her. Landon already knew she was fragile and sweet deep on the inside. They’d spent many long hours talking in her hayloft, exchanging their dreams, fears, and regrets. So if this stranger could teach her how to eliminate her tough outer shell, she’d be downright pleasant to be around. Then Landon just had to convince her that their relationship could move beyond friendship.
“Well since the two of you are such great friends now, you can get a ride with him, Landon.” She stormed off to her truck, her blonde hair rippling behind her from the slight breeze. He wondered if she’d tell her brothers the moment she got home. If she did, he had no doubt there would be an unpleasant visit at his home tonight. Their place was right on the edge of town. They had no land of their own, only focusing on their feed store, which had been in the Wilder family for generations. Although Landon had big dreams of running his own cattle ranch like some of his closest friends, it was a little too big for a small player like him. The best he could do was help make his parents’ business thrive, but even that was becoming difficult lately due to the increased competition.
“You realize you’ve just created a monster. If that woman wasn’t already ornery, she’ll be downright impossible now.” Landon rubbed the front of his jeans. His cock was still semierect from the visual of Angel’s sweet little ass. He’d hoped Clay was going to take things further, pull out the pig string and give her a lesson to remember. The few spanks she’d received only served to infuriate her, far from taming. She’d need to be hogtied and branded before her sweetness began to show through.
“Just wait. She’ll be back.”
“What do you mean?”
Clay adjusted his black Stetson and began walking back to his truck. “A woman like Angel craves to be mastered—she just doesn’t realize it yet. But she will. And when she does, we’ll be ready for her.”
They drove back to town. It was too late to return to the Carson ranch, so he’d just head on home and call it a day wasted. He watched the endless fields of wheat and open cattle prairie as they made their way to the sleepy little town. Landon would never tire of the sight, or give up on his dreams. Once a man gave up on hope, he was nothing but a work horse. Some days that’s exactly how he felt, especially when all his work was on other men’s land.
The pickup truck rumbled up the gravel drive to the little bungalow. “Would you join us for dinner?” He may be Angel’s so-called enemy, but he’d driven him into town and only been polite. Landon’s parents had taught him that good manners went a long way and offering a meal to a stranger was God’s work.
“I really should get into town to check on my new business dealings.”
“It’s only a meal. A man’s got to eat. If you’re living alone in that big house, I’m sure you could do with a home-cooked meal.”
Clay smiled and turned off the engine. “Sounds good.”
* * * *
Angel didn’t drive straight home, not in the mood she was in. Her brothers would sense something amiss and drill her until she told them what happened. It was the last thing she needed to come out in the open. Angel Garner had just been spanked like a naughty child, and dismissed as such. Clay hadn’t even become aroused, only doled out her punishment for harassing him, and then told her to get out of his sight. She felt stupid, used, and pent up like a horny bull.
She drove west—past her ranch, past the Carsons’s, and through the town. Angel finally began to slow her truck when she neared her most favorite spot in the world. It was private property, owned by the Richmond family, but they never knew the wiser. She wasn’t there to make trouble, just get away from the world and think. It was where the NaserRiver cut across the land, changing elevations by means of a miniature waterfall. The sound of rushing water, insects in the tall grass, and the beautiful array of wildflowers put her soul at peace. Angel had found this little piece of paradise after dealing with that crooked, horse-thieving developer so many years ago. It was her refuge. Every slippery rock and blade of grass knew her secrets. Human beings weren’t so trustworthy.
Angel lay down on her back and stared up at the vibrant mix of blue sky, white clouds, and green from the tree branches. If only she could just stay here forever, not move, not have to deal with anything in her life. But that was wishful thinking. She was still determined to get her stallion, and maybe a little eager to run into Clay Roberts again. There was a deep-seated need in her to gain his approval, which was so unlike her. Then there was her buddy, Landon. How would she ever face him again? He’d seen her bare bottom, watched her get humiliated over Clay’s lap. She’d never live this down. Her reputation as a cowgirl was solid, set in stone. Now she’d appear weak, and no better than a common buckle bunny—which she most certainly was not.
She supposed she’d have to keep her distance from Landon now, keep things civil and professional. It was so much easier to close herself off rather than deal with undue emotion. She’d miss him, though. Despite his ganging up on her with Clay, he was one of her best friends. Who would she talk to now? She’d done a damn fine job at keeping friends away—not many put up with her after a while.
After a couple hours of quiet reflection, she decided to head home. When she pulled into the lot, there was a buzz of activity. Her brothers were loading sacks of grain into three pickup trucks, and they had the forklift out to haul bundles of hay on the open wagon.
She parked her truck out of the way and sauntered over to the ruckus. “What’s going on?” They’d had the sacks of grain stored for a month in the spare barn. The Wilder feed store could only handle so much when their province had a bumper crop this year.
Grant had a big white-toothed smile. “We’ve sold the whole lot, Angel. The new distributor in town bought it all. After we’re done here, we’re heading to the Carsons to load up their overstock.” Wyatt, Cord, and Val were lugging oversized bags along with Grant in the near distance.
“That’s good news,” she said. Her daddy wouldn’t have to pinch pennies now that they’d managed to sell the crops. She wondered what price they got. She also wondered how this would affect the Wilder Feed Store. But she couldn’t talk to Landon about it, not anymore. “Need any help?”
“Yeah. Secure the livestock for the night. We won’t be back
until well after sundown.”
She had nothing better to do. Mounting her horse, feeling that thrill of untamed abandon as she raced through the open fields was exactly what she needed. As she walked past all those bare-chested, sweat-glistening cowboys, all she got were evil glares. It was bad enough that half the town hated her. If Clay or Landon spread rumors about what happened in that old barn, she’d never live it down.
The first of the pickup trucks started up, spraying gravel as it barreled off the property, followed by an entourage of others. As soon as the cloud of smoke down the old country road diminished, all became quiet, serene.
Angel saddled up her horse, still unable to get the stallion off her mind, and rode off into the fields. Most of the cattle were penned for the branding, but the horses and some stragglers needed rounding up. By the time she’d done her job, only half the sun remained on the horizon, putting the land to bed for the night. She was exhausted, which was good, because she needed to hit the sack and fall asleep, not replay everything that had happened earlier in the day. When the barn came in sight, a shadowed obstacle next to the house, she dismounted and walked her mare to cool her off. The symphony of crickets and muted neighs from her horse comforted her. There wasn’t anywhere else in the world she’d rather be than in the heart of Alberta, working on the open land. She may complain to her parents and brothers, but everything she could want was right here.
The horse hooves echoed on the concrete interior of the barn as she walked the mare inside. “Little late to be riding,” said the unseen baritone. Her nerves fired off, but she managed not to yelp, biting her tongue instead. The barn was all shadows. With nobody on the ranch, the spotlights hadn’t been turned on. Only a soft pink glow illuminated the throughway, but even that would be gone within minutes.
“Landon?”
He emerged from a stall, tall and menacing, wiping dust off his jeans after sitting on a bale of hay for God knows how long. “I need to talk with you.”
She had so many things she needed to say, too. Like asking how his parents were managing with the new super distribution center in town. And whether or not he thought less of her after the earlier events. “Why? I have nothing to say to you, Landon Wilder.”
“But I do.” He spun her around, her horse returning to its stall on her own when Angel dropped the lead. “You can’t keep avoiding me, and that’s exactly what you’re doing.”
“Do you want to spank me, too?” She glared at him, but he probably couldn’t make out the features of her face.
“I should. I can’t believe you left me at that ranch after I agreed to help you.” He backed her up to the other side of the barn where her back hit the center of two stalls. “And you know what? I think you liked getting punished, liked that strange man touching your bare flesh.”
“You’re a dirty pig. You’re all the same. I’ve yet to meet a cowboy with control over his cock.” But she knew Landon. He was an honorable cowboy, a friend, and now more. She didn’t want him to keep control, did she?
He chuckled, and for some reason that smooth, deep sound tore through her body, making her aware of every cell for those few seconds. Her traitorous body wanted the tall, dirty-blond cowboy.
“Oh, I’ve got control. If I didn’t, you’d be getting fucked right now against the side of the barn.” She gasped. Landon wanted her as much more than a friend. The new fact sent a wash of mixed emotions through her—anger, betrayal, excitement, and lust. She couldn’t even speak, unsure what to say or do. If he were any other cowboy, she’d have kneed him in the groin and raced back to the house. But this was Landon, her Landon.
“Your mother needs to wash your mouth out with soap. Maybe I should tell her about you and your new best friend. I think his crudeness is rubbing off on you already.”
“If you’re talking about Clay, he’s a big hit with my folks. He talked them up all through dinner. Did you know he used to travel the circuit?”
She lost her breath for a moment. Angel wanted to stomp her feet and give Landon a violent shake. How dare he befriend her enemy? He was supposed to help her get her stallion back, not make Clay’s life better. First the stranger stole her horse, now he infiltrated her life deeper, trying to steal her best friend. She wouldn’t allow it.
“I don’t give a shit what he did in his heyday. I hate him.”
He tilted her chin up, his body so close. “No you don’t. I’ll tell you exactly who you hate, Angel. Yourself.”
Chapter Six
Most days he was certain he knew Angel better than she knew herself. Everything stemmed back to that one day five years ago. One of the developers that had tried to buy up everyone’s land dirt cheap back then had blackmailed her into giving up her stallion. She’d been a wide-eyed, seventeen-year-old cowgirl living a sheltered life with three older brothers and strict parents. He made a deal with her. One she took and claimed not to regret, but it changed her. She closed up, didn’t open up herself to anyone, and despite what she thought—she hated herself. Half the town thought she was an ungrateful brat for selling the valuable prized stallion her daddy had saved up for for years. But she’d rather be hated than tell the truth and emasculate the men she’d been helping. In time, she became the role people placed her in, turning cold and standoffish.
He’d always love her. He’d been in love with the cowgirl for years, even offering to help out her brothers for free on their ranch just to get close to her. But when she’d confided in him about her pain and regrets, his mission to court her went out the window because she needed a friend more than a lover. Five years later, and she was very much a woman. One he couldn’t get off his mind no matter how hard he tried. She still lived in the shadow of the past, and his patience for her recovery was growing thin. It was time for her to live, to break out of her armor, and start fresh.
“I love myself fine. Why wouldn’t I? I could have any man in this town if I wanted.” A brat until the end.
“Then why are you alone, Angel? Why haven’t you hooked up with one of the gazillion men begging for your affections?”
She huffed. “Because I’m not a whore.”
He fiddled with the collar of her T-shirt, running his finger back and forth under between her skin and the cotton, barely holding on to his manners when she was so warm, so close, and so feisty. “But you’re not sugar and spice, either.” She didn’t swat his hand away so he took it as an invitation.
“Good. I’d much rather be piss and vinegar.” Angel almost whispered the words, her bravado faltering.
“I worried about you after you took off.” He trailed his finger up the side of her neck and traced her jawline. “But I figured you just needed to be alone for a while.”
She swallowed, the sound audible in the twilight hush. He lowered his head and kissed her temple. It was the first time he’d been brave enough to do even that. He rubbed his cheek against hers, so smooth and feminine. “My brothers will be here soon,” she murmured, not stopping him.
“I don’t care.” He took a deep breath at her neckline, his nose buried in her silky curtain of blonde hair. With only a few inches separating their bodies, he reached both hands down her back, and then cupped her ass, bringing her tight against him. His cock was harder than lead, straining against his zipper. She’d be able to feel it against her stomach, proof that he desired her for more than friendship.
“Did Clay tell you to come out here?”
“Nope, it’s all me. I’ve wanted you for longer than I can remember, Angel. Even first thing in the morning on the fields, late at night after a roundup, or when your temper spills over—you’re always beautiful to me.” She had a natural beauty unique to her—hair the color of wheat and honey, eyes as blue as the midday sun, and curves to make a man forget his own name.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You’re my friend. I was afraid.” Now he was the one on the spot, feeling that tug of vulnerability. Would she accept him or reject him?
“But cowboys ar
en’t afraid of anything.”
He smirked and tweaked her nose. The playful gesture somehow ignited Angel’s desire, perhaps easing down her guards. They weren’t strangers to each other, and she had to know he’d never hurt her. She reached up on tiptoes and stole a kiss on his lips. Their first. Her advance crumbled his fragile self-control. He crushed his mouth to hers, heaving her up against the wooden planks so they were level, eye to eye. She wrapped her legs around his hips and arms around his neck. It all happened so fast, he didn’t have a chance to consider if it was the right thing to do, he just acted on impulse.
“Landon, I’ve never—” She spoke against his lips, the three little words warming his heart. He knew she was a virgin. With three older brothers and a gossip for an aunt, there was no way she’d be anything but untouched. He reveled in the idea of being her first, of claiming the woman he’d secretly coveted for years. She may not be every man’s cup of tea, but her feisty temper and guarded vulnerability attracted him more than any sweet, obliging cowgirl ever could.
“Trust me, Angel.”
“That’s hard for me, you know that.”
“Then I’ll teach you.” He laid a soft kiss over each of her closed eyes. “I’ll never hurt you.”
Espino, Stacey - Hogtying the Cowgirl [Ride 'em Hard 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 4
