Bought by the Lone Cowboy

by E. Walsh

  Maureen’s mouth fell open. Alice could almost see smoke coming out of her ears.

  “Is that the real reason you invited me to this stupid party? So you could call me out in front of all your cunty friends and show them how superior you are to your poor little sister?”

  “Cunty friends?” Bailey said. “Well, I never…”

  “Oh, I bet you have,” Alice said. “I bet all of you have.”

  “Really, Maureen, are you going to allow her to speak to us that way?”

  Maureen felt all eyes on her. As she had since they were children, when Maureen grew uncomfortable, she lashed out. “So you’re admitting it then? You like women? You’re gay?”

  “I don’t, but even if I did, it shouldn’t matter. I just don’t need to be married to know he loves me,” Alice said with a sigh.

  “What respectable woman settles like that? You obviously can’t have a future with ideas like that floating around in your head! Oh my God, do mother and father know you can’t even get him to propose?”

  Alice blinked at her sister, and placed her hand on her chest mockingly. “Oh, so marrying a man just for his money is the respectable thing to do?” Alice looked around the table. “Be careful ladies, when you’re old and worn out, they’ll toss you aside for a newer model! That’s what’s happening with Maureen!”

  By now, the table of bickering women had attracted everyone’s attention. The party attendees began to murmur and point. Then Maureen’s husband Lawrence (don’t ever call him Larry) came forward to stand behind his wife.

  He said, “Alice! Now that’s enough! We invited you because you’re family, not so that anyone could embarrass you. For Heaven’s sake, you’re doing a fine job of that all by yourself.”

  “Lawrence, it’s obvious you’re deflecting all of this unwanted attention on me because other people have heard the truth. You know Maureen is only with you because of your money, and we all know that you’re banging your secretary!”

  A collective gasp went across the room.

  Lawrence’s face turned a deep crimson. “Now, hold on just a minute-“

  Alice ignored the tears streaming down her sister’s face. She had been holding this in for too long. She may never get another chance to speak her mind like this.

  “Yours is the saddest kind of relationship I’ve ever seen! And you have the audacity to judge me because I don’t share your shallow attitude toward love?”

  “Darling, it’s really unbecoming of you to try and sabotage your sister’s party with all this nonsense,” the woman named Darlene said. “You have no right to judge anyone.”

  “You’re right. I really should leave all judging and condescension to you people. You’re so much better at it.”

  * * *

  Chapter Two

  Alice pushed herself out of the chair and turned to quickly walk away. She’d had enough. She knew she would never win an argument with this crowd.

  She didn’t care that the eyes of everyone were on her as she left the room. Behind her, she could hear Maureen dramatically blubbering on Lawrence’s shoulder. Alice sighed. It was all for show. She knew from her mother that her sister’s divorce was already in motion.

  Alice walked down the ramp off the yacht, and when she was finally back in the safety of her car, she broke down into a fit of sobs.

  She couldn’t hold it together after that. Her sister was awful for doing this, but Alice shouldn’t have been surprised.

  Maureen always deflected her pain on others; usually her younger sister.

  It wasn’t unexpected, but Alice always had the benefit of the doubt reserved for Maureen.

  She didn’t want to think her sister was a total bitch, but the truth was that she was more than that. She was downright evil.

  Alice jumped when she heard a tap on the window. She looked up to see the figure of a man standing on the other side of the dirty glass. For a moment, she thought it was Lawrence there for round two.

  Alice wiped her tears as she rolled down the window. The man leaned in and smiled. “Hey stranger, don’t I know you from somewhere?”

  Alice’s mouth fell open when her eyes cleared and she recognized the handsome face smiling back at her.

  “Oh my God! Riley!” Alice pushed open the car door and ejected herself form the car with her arms outstretched. She couldn’t believe Riley Nolan was really there. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight, as if the man had just saved her from a burning building.

  Riley had been one of Maureen’s best friends since high school, even though they were nothing alike. Alice always said Maureen kept Riley around because someone in her little group had to have a brain.

  Riley was nothing like the rest of Maureen’s little clique. He was smart, caring, non-judgmental, naturally attractive… Alice had nursed a quiet crush on him since they were kids, but he was two years older and never looked her way. He always thought of her as a little sister.

  Now that Riley was standing right in front of her again, she felt a tsunami of emotions come roaring back, slamming full force into her heart.

  “You’re like a breath of fresh air in all of this!” Alice said as she finally let go of him. “I should never have come.”

  Riley gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her shoulders. “Yeah, I saw everything that happened, but couldn’t get to you before you ran out. Are you okay?”

  Alice nodded and let out a little sigh. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just, you know, having my personal business exposed in front of strangers like that. It’s just so…”

  “So Maureen?” Riley grinned. “Look, Maureen is who she is. You can either accept the fact that she can be a raging bitch or you can just walk away. Which do you plan to do?”

  Alice thought for a moment. “She’s my sister. It would be hard to just walk away.” She looked toward the yacht with big tears in her eyes. “But I can’t go back in there, so don’t even ask. All those rich bitches, and dimwitted husbands and their hoity-toity bullshit. I’m done.”

  “I have a better idea,” Riley said, moving in to put a comforting arm around Alice’s shoulders. “Let’s ditch this place and just go have a quiet drink at my place. We can catch up.”

  Alice smiled. “That sounds really good. Lead the way.”

  * * *

  Chapter Three

  Alice, in her ten-year old Prius that smoked like a chimney when she pressed the gas, followed Riley home in his flashy new Mercedes.

  Home turned out to be a beautiful condominium in a gated community in a very expensive part of town.

  They stopped at the guard gate and Riley spoke to the guard, then waved for her to follow.

  The guard gave her the stink eye as she passed; obviously thinking she was there to clean Riley’s toilets or some other menial task.

  As she parked her car on the street behind Riley’s, Alice regretted her comments about rich bitches, dim witted husbands and hoity-toity bullshit. Obviously, Riley was doing as well as the other people in that party.

  Alice stepped out of the car with her cheeks flushed. She gave Riley an embarrassed smile.

  “Forget what I said about rich bitches, dim witted husbands and hoity-toity bullshit.” She nodded at the building in front of them. “Nice place.”

  Riley laughed and said, “It’s a little hoity-toity. Come on.”

  Alice followed him through the beautifully-landscaped entrance to the building, which required a key card and pass code to open.

  Riley opened the door and led the way to an elevator that was nicer than her dinky apartment.

  He inserted the key card into a slot and pressed a button labeled penthouse.

  Alice looked at Riley’s reflection in the mirrored doors and asked, “So, remind me again what you do for a living?”

  “I’m the CFO of a venture capital firm in the city,” he said matter-of-factly, as if making a point not to be boastful. “The hours suck, but the money’s nice.”

  “Happy to hear that,” Alice s
aid with a smile. She leaned back against the wall and enjoyed the ride. When the doors finally opened, she found herself staring into Riley’s luxurious foyer rather than a dank hallway.

  “Come on in,” Riley gestured around “Home sweet home. Me casa es su casa as they say. Feel free to look around.”

  Alice gawked with wonder as she stepped into Riley’s home. The place was adorned in an ultramodern décor, but it had a very masculine feel to it with dark, colors and mahogany wood being the thing of choice.

  Alice walked around slowly, her heels clicking on the marble floor as she gazed at the panoramic view of the city through the floor to ceiling windows.

  “This place looks like something out of a magazine,” she said without a hint of jealousy. “You’ve done an amazing job decorating it.”

  Riley came to stand next to her at the windows. “Thanks, but honestly it was the interior decorator. Apparently a CFO’s home is not just a home, but also an investment.”

  He bumped her with his elbow and gave her a lopsided grin.

  “Looks like a great investment,” Alice said with a smile.

  Riley scratched his neck. “Yep, I suppose so. Still, it’s my sanctuary from the world outside.”

  Riley moved behind an ornate bar at one end of the living room. He pulled a bottle of wine from a fridge beneath the bar and filled two glasses. He gestured for Alice to pull up a stool on the other side of the bar while he was finishing up.

  “It’s a great that I ran into you tonight,” Riley said as he handed Alice a glass and picked up his own. “Kind of ironic though.”

  Alice smiled before taking a sip, not fully understanding. “How so?”

  “I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately,” Riley said. “Maureen showed me a picture of you on Facebook. You’ve… grown up a lot.”

  “Time will do that to you,” she said with a smile.

  “Time will also remind you of opportunities missed,” he said, giving her a smile.

  “What… does that mean?”

  “I always had a little crush on you growing up,” he said, reaching across the bar to put his hand on hers. “Seeing you tonight, all grown up and strong and beautiful and pissed off… It made me wonder what might have been if I’d had the guts to say something.”

  Alice felt his fingers close around her hand and looked up to catch him staring at her. She had no idea what the hell was going on, but she hoped it was the realization of a dream she’d had many nights before.

  * * *

  Chapter Four

  Riley’s words left his lips and slipped into Alice’s ears softly, like a strange melody she couldn’t identify, but knew that she had been longing to hear.

  She couldn’t hide the surprise on her face.

  She swallowed the wine that was in her mouth and tried to speak.

  All that came out was, “Excuse me?”

  “I’m sorry if this is a shock,” he said quietly. “I’ve worked really hard to hide how I felt. For years I thought I was just confused because of how close we were. I knew that my parents had expectations, and that you didn’t exactly fit the mold, so I tried dating models and women who really couldn’t hold a candle you, but it didn’t work out.”

  “Riley, I…”

  “Then tonight, when I saw you standing up to Maureen and her friends, I thought to myself, my God, she is so brave. And I’m…”

  “You’re brave, too,” Alice said, reaching across the bar to put her hand on Riley’s. “It takes courage to hide your true feelings for so long.”

  Riley tried to smile, “Tonight, it hit me like a lightning bolt. Seeing you there standing up to everyone like that, not caring about pressure or expectations. When I heard what you said, I realized that you’ve always been someone I wanted to get close to… In so many ways.”

  Alice squeezed Riley’s hand and gave him a sweet smile. “I had no idea you felt this way,” she said softly. “Want to know what’s really ironic about all this?”

  Riley gave her a soft smile. “What’s that?”

  Alice leaned across the bar, her lips aching. She said, “I’ve always felt the same way about you.”

  * * *

  Chapter Five

  The thought of finally being with Riley, and making love to him in the way she had always imagined was enticing, but Alice was still hesitant.

  She had a gut feeling that Jack was looking to leave their relationship, but she didn’t want to use those thoughts to justify sleeping with Riley.

  Still, as Riley came around the bar to stand next to her, inhaling his perfume with every breath, it was nearly impossible to resist the temptation.

  Riley’s fingertips gently touched the bottom of Alice’s chin and lifted her face until their eyes met.

  “Alice, I want you. I’ve always wanted you to, and now I know you want me too.”

  Willpower was falling to old emotions that Alice couldn’t push out of her head.

  The intensity that she felt when she thought she couldn’t have Riley began to surge, the tsunami slamming the shore again, and the happiness that her feelings were being returned overwhelmed her.

  Her heart was speaking for her now, telling her she didn’t need to let this chance at happiness slip away.

  Quickly, Jack became an afterthought, and the guilt started to fade away.

  She gazed up into Riley’s eyes.

  Not another word was necessary or spoken.

  * * *

  Chapter Six

  Alice slid off the stool into Riley’s waiting arms. Riley pulled her close, so close they could feel one another’s hearts pounding beneath their chests.

  With their bodies pressed firmly together, they shared an intense first kiss.

  Riley’s lips were full and inviting, and a light moan escaped Alice’s mouth as she reveled in the gentle love that was pouring through her.

  This was different than the kisses she shared with Jack.

  Something about this let her know just how long Riley had suffered without her.

  Nothing that happened earlier mattered anymore as they began to caress one another, seeming to know each other’s most erogenous zones.

  Riley’s fingers went to the small zipper on the back of Alice’s dress and began to slowly tug it down, exposing her slender, smooth back.

  Their tongues began a dance, and it wasn’t long before Alice decided the dress she was wearing was in the way.

  She let it slide down off of her shoulders, revealing breasts so pert they didn’t require a bra.

  Riley slipped his fingers into the waistband of Alice’s panties and slid them down her legs.

  He took a step back and smiled at Alice’s beautiful form.

  “You look as sexy as I’ve always imagined,” Riley said quietly. “Simply beautiful.”

  Alice felt herself blushing before Riley’s loving gaze. Even Jack didn’t elicit this kind of bashfulness from her.

  “My turn,” she whispered, reaching for Riley.

  As she unbuttoned Riley’s shirt and pants, she could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest.

  The anticipation of seeing Riley’s naked body was driving her crazy, and she felt the heat between her thighs grow more intense.

  Alice caught her breath when she found that Riley’s manhood was bulging through his boxer shorts.

  She helped him slide them off then moved in slowly, placing her hands on Riley’s hips and pulling him closer.

  Riley felt himself growing harder, having Alice so close, touching his body, hearing her breathe.

  “Come with me,” Riley said, taking Alice’s hand and leading her to the bedroom.

  Alice took the lead. She pushed Riley back on the bed and put her hands on his thighs, watching his cock grow in anticipation, smiling that Riley was throbbing for her.

  Alice wrapped her fingers around Riley’s cock, which was long and thick, nearly two hands full. She lowered her lips and teased the tip of his cock with her tongue.

  She clos
ed her eyes sucked him in as far as she could, her lips and tongue swirling around the head. She heard Riley moan with pleasure. She opened her eyes to look up at him. His head was thrown back and his eyes were closed. As her tongue went up and down the length of his shaft, Riley opened his eyes and reached for her.

  Alice climbed on top of him as Riley held his cock and guided the head into her pussy. “Slowly,” she sighed. “It’s so big…”

  She slowly lowered herself onto his shaft, inch by inch. She was surprised that should could take him all in. She began to rock back and forth, milking him as she moved.

  Riley was kneading her breasts, pinching her swollen nipples. His cock slid back and forth along her clit, sending her to a height of ecstasy she’d never known before.

  They moved together for minutes, then Riley’s body bucked and writhed as he clenched her hips and growled.

  “Oh god… I’m coming, Alice, yes…” he said his voice tinged with lust. He lifted his hips to meet Alice’s thrusts, and the intensity from watching Riley lose all control as he came inside her pushed Alice over the brink.

  Watching Riley’s body jerk and spasm made Alice’s pussy gush, covering his thighs with hot moisture. She felt Riley’s cock pulse and throb inside her.

  She sped up the pace of her stroking to bring Riley to his deeply-anticipated climax.

  Riley’s grunts of pleasure suddenly got deeper in pitch, and the sound of it was bringing Alice to the edge too.

  Alice’s entire body trembled as she felt herself reaching her own orgasm, driven by the sight of Riley’s writhing body. It took every ounce of her being to keep pleasuring Riley through it as she suffered through the intensity.

  She felt hot moisture gushing down her inner thighs.

  She opened her eyes and smiled down at him. Together, they let out a long, mutual moan of satisfaction.

  * * *