Her Cowboy's Way

by Starla Kaye

  A now blushing Dorothy rolled her eyes at her husband. “The children, Conrad. Watch what you say.”

  He tossed a cocky grin at Colby and took his wife’s arm to lead her away. “Save those leftovers for tomorrow, Brandi. We’ll be staying in tonight. We’re old, you know. Need our rest. Go to bed early.”

  Colby groaned and leaned against the counter, unable even to tell his family goodbye.

  Brandi yelled after them, “Come anytime in the morning.”

  “We might sleep in a bit,” Dorothy called back and giggled. “We’ll be here around noon.”

  A couple of minutes later Brandi heard the front door close after the departing in-laws. She’d moved to the doorway to make sure they left. She glanced across the kitchen at her mortified husband. He needed a distraction from thoughts and visions he didn’t want to consider.

  She tugged off the T-shirt she’d been wearing and tossed it to the floor. When her hands moved to remove her bra, his eyes widened. Exactly what she wanted. She tossed the bra down with the shirt.

  “What are you doing?” he croaked, watching her unzip her jeans.

  Shoving them down and then reaching for the panties, she said with wicked intent, “Getting naked, cowboy.” She smiled. “I’m going to jump your bones. Unless you object.”

  He was already ripping at his shirt. “Hell no!”

  Just to torture him, she shoved away her jeans and panties, strolled toward him, trying to look thoughtful. “I wonder how big those tubs are? Big enough for two? I’m thinking that’s what…”

  Colby ground his teeth a second, pressed his eyes closed. “Stop that! I do not want to think about my parents in the damn tub.”

  She grabbed hold of his stiff shaft the instant he’d shoved down his jeans. He sucked in a breath. “How about you deal with you concentrating on me instead?” She stroked his rod.

  His face creased in frustration. “Damn! Got in such a hurry I didn’t even take my boots off. Can’t get my jeans off.”

  She went up on tiptoes and rubbed against him, lifting a leg, which he latched onto. Without even having to explain what she wanted, he helped her wrap her legs around him. She slid down onto him with ease and they both sighed. She squeezed him nice and tight. “We’ll get those boots off later.”

  “Works for me.” After that neither of them cared anything about his boots.

  Chapter Ten

  Christmas Crazy

  Brandi sneezed and then sneezed again. No, no, no, no! This was so unfair, getting a cold just before Christmas. Her eyes burned and her throat felt scratchy. She’d gone through two boxes of tissues yesterday and must have drunk a gallon of orange juice. But she’d refused to take cold pills because they always made her sleepy and a little bit loopy.

  If it wasn’t the week before Christmas and she still had a million things to do, she would pull the covers over her head and sulk about being miserable. She didn’t have time for that.

  She flung her legs over the side of the bed as Colby walked out of the bathroom. Wearing nothing more than boxers, he made her heart do all kinds of fancy dances. What her man could do with his hands, his mouth, and most definitely with his glorious manroot! She loved the term, which she’d discovered in an historical romance she’d read yesterday.

  Her pulse began racing with anticipation. Maybe she could put off some of her chores. Maybe he could as well. What would it hurt if they took the whole day off for themselves?

  Before she could make the suggestion, she sneezed again. Stupid cold!

  Instead of looking hot with desire for her, her husband gave her a pitying glance. “You should stay in bed today, sweetheart. Get over this cold.”

  No sex. He didn’t have to say anything because she already knew his answer. Besides, she didn’t want pity sex. If she couldn’t have full-out, light the sheets on fire sex, she didn’t want it. Well…there was the manroot thing….

  Irritated, she heaved her body off the bed, tugged at the hem of her over-sized T-shirt, and shook her head. “Can’t. I have a list as long as my arm of things to do.” She held her arm up for an example, and then reached for a tissue on the nightstand.

  He walked closer, but, with her stuffy nose, she couldn’t even draw in his scent. After putting a palm against her forehead, he said in concern, “I don’t feel a fever.” He pulled her into a hug and stroked her head. “Have I mentioned how much I like your hair? Your special shade of blonde is almost completely back.” He slid his fingers through the shoulder-length strands. “This is a good length, too.”

  She snuggled into his warmth and mumbled, “Thanks.” Her moment of rebellion just before their wedding in June remained a sore subject between them. He’d loved her pale blonde hair that fell almost to her waist. She’d wanted a personal change along with altering her status from single to married. The decision to dye it auburn had been terrible, but this still wasn’t her actual normal color. He didn’t need to know that.

  “Aren’t you worried about catching my cold?” She savored his arms around her another second, and then stepped away. “You shouldn’t get too close to me.”

  He chuckled, making his brown eyes shine with amusement. “If I was worried, I wouldn’t be sharing a bed with you.” He reached out to tilt up her face. “I wouldn’t have made love to you last night.”

  He’d come upstairs to the bedroom exhausted from a hard day dealing with some runaway cattle. Yet he’d taken one look at her and gone back down to the kitchen. Her big, tough cowboy had soon returned with a bowl of microwaved chicken soup and proceeded to spoon feed it to her. She hadn’t been hungry, but no way would she reject his need to take care of her. After that…oh my! The things he’d done. Far better than any of what the heroes from her beloved romances had done.

  “You’re blushing, sweetheart.” He flashed his sexy crooked grin as if he knew what she’d been thinking. He’d teased her about what she’d been reading, asking how he compared with the men in her stories. She had only smiled at him. His ego was already big enough. He hadn’t cared about her response telling her, when she screamed out his name as he brought her to a climax, he pretty much knew he met her needs.

  He glanced at the erotic book on her nightstand and his grin grew bigger. “Maybe later you can share with me something new you’ve read about that I need to try.”

  “Well, there is….” She let the comment fade away and gave him a wink. Then she sneezed and ruined the moment.

  He took her by the shoulders and spun her back toward the bed. “This is where you need to spend the day.”

  “But…”

  He swatted her bottom, encouraged her to climb back between the sheets. “End of discussion.”

  She had no intention of lazing about in bed all day, but she wasn’t up to arguing with him. So she slid back between the rumpled sheets and let him tuck her in, which was rather nice. He leaned down and she waited in anticipation for the kiss, but he kissed her forehead.

  “That was sure disappointing,” she grouched as he stepped away, chortling.

  Her eyes drifted shut while he dressed. What would a few more minutes of sleep hurt? Somewhere in the fuzziness of near-sleep she thought he said something about her staying put today or else. Or else what? But she was too groggy to care.

  ***

  Cookies! The word jumped into the bizarre dream she’d been having about chasing Colby around the snow-covered yard, both of them naked. She hated being pulled from the dream. Still, as reality shoved its way back into her mind, she recalled how she hadn’t made even one Christmas cookie yet. And she’d promised the men that she would. She also remembered how they’d rattled off at least a dozen different kinds they favored. They worked so hard. How could she let them down? Okay, she’d get up and bake cookies, but only six kinds.

  She yawned, stretched, and her shoulders ached. Her body’s issues weren’t going to keep her down any longer.

  Half way to the bathroom she realized she hadn’t even started decorating the tree Colb
y and Thad had hauled inside a couple of days ago. Her cold had hit hard at that point and she didn’t care about much of anything. She knew Colby’s parents had left boxes of decorations in the attic. He’d said something about them getting their own decorations, but she knew he’d be happier with the old familiar ones, at least this year. Maybe next year they’d look for some that would have special meaning just for them.

  So that was another chore she wanted to accomplish today, too.

  As she stood under the shower, letting it pound the fogginess from her brain, she recalled all the presents that needed to be wrapped. She had gifts for the ranch hands, for Thad and Sarah, for her father and his fiancée, stashed in the guest bedroom. Then there were the gifts she’d gotten for Colby hidden all over the house. He’d said they should each get just one nice present for each other. Yeah, right! It was Christmas. She always went a little nuts with gift buying and buying for her husband was no exception. She might have gone overboard and he might decide to warm her bottom for doing so, but she didn’t care. Some things were worth the price.

  Colby had been concerned about Brandi ever since he’d left the house several hours ago. She could be one contrary woman at times. That cold had gotten to her, but she was close to being done with it now. Thank God. When she had any kind of health issues, he got a bit over-protective. Ever since they’d learned earlier this year that she was a borderline diabetic he’d been worried. The idea of dealing with diabetes scared him more than it did her. For the most part, she tried to eat better and stay away from sweets. But she’d had that momentary lapse of good sense when she’d run across some chocolate she’d stashed away a while back. As far as he knew, she’d resisted another sugar binge since then. He intended to keep her on the straight and narrow about that, but it was tougher during the holiday times.

  He closed the door to the tack room, relieved he’d finished with the last of the repairs on a couple of bridles. There were still more chores to help with, but he couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling that had swept over him a few minutes ago. His gut told him his wife was going against his warning for her to stay in bed and take another day to rest.

  With a glance at his prized mare and her new foal in the nearby stall, he grinned. The foal was trying to prance around his mother on long, wobbly legs. The mare studied him in maternal tolerance. Colby did a lot of that with Brandi—patiently kept watch over her. Sometimes his task wasn’t easy. Obedience was something she struggled hard with. Even on the day of their wedding she’d fought against wanting to include the word obey in the vows. In truth, he hadn’t cared either way. The matter had become important to her, though, stressed her out. He’d helped her then and he would keep on helping her however necessary until he went boots-up one day.

  Unable to get past the sinking sensation inside him, he left the barn and strode for the house. As he’d suspected, his stubborn wife wasn’t in bed any longer. Hanging up his jacket in the mudroom and toeing off his boots, he heard the shower running.

  Resigned to having a showdown with Brandi, he headed upstairs. He didn’t want to warm her sweet butt, but if that’s what it would take to get her to do as he said, he would. She was going to stay in bed if he had to tie her there.

  “Brandi Lynn,” he called out, knocking firmly on the bathroom door. “Why are you out of bed and taking a shower?”

  “Because I wanted to,” she grouched and turned off the water. “Aren’t you supposed to be busy with chores?”

  “The men will handle them until I get back.” He opened the door and found her stepping out of the shower, snagging a towel, and frowning at him. His whole body went stiff. Lord a’ mighty, she was a beautiful woman. He wanted to toss the towel to the floor and then….

  He ignored her scowl. “You’re going right back to bed.” It was a statement of fact, not a question. He desperately wanted to get in bed with her, snuggle her close, and make sure she stayed there.

  She dried off, seeming to take extra care, move extra slow with the task. Teasing him, taunting him because he’d invaded her space. He curled his hands into fists and tried to will his erection to calm down.

  Holding his gaze, a hint of mischief in hers, she took her time wrapping the towel around her. “I don’t need your help with this.” Her chin tipped up. “And, no, I’m not going back to bed. I took some cold medicine and I’m much better now.”

  He blew out a shuddery breath as she walked by him, brushing against him in the doorway. “I came up here to spank some sense into you.”

  She faced him, shaking her head. “I don’t think so.”

  He went over the list of issues that bothered him. “You’re ignoring how your body still needs rest. I’d bet my best hat that you’re planning to head down to the kitchen and bake those damn cookies for the men.”

  She didn’t deny any of it. “I have a cold. I’m not on my deathbed, Colby. I’m better. Enough said.”

  “You’re medicated,” he protested. “Your eyes still look kind of watery. Your nose is red and you spent the last three days blowing it. You don’t have a dime’s worth of energy. You’re just being plain old stubborn.”

  “I’m trying to get back to my life.” Then she sneezed and almost dropped her towel.

  His gaze shot to where her breasts pushed at the upper edge of the towel she clutched tighter. Then he shifted it to where the towel barely reached her mound. He began sweating and his cock hardened again. His body’s reactions frustrated him. She was sick. They were having a minor argument. Poor timing for his desperate need for her to reveal itself.

  “Which is it, cowboy? Do you want to turn me over your knee for a spanking?” She focused on the bulge in his jeans. “Or do you want to master me in bed?”

  “I don’t master you in bed,” he countered. He did like to be in charge, but not all of the time. He’d been very appreciative that day when she’d worn the hot cowgirl outfit in Vegas and rode him until he’d nearly stroked out. And there’d been plenty of other instances she’d had her way with him.

  She smiled, said in a husky tone, “Maybe those are some of the times I like best.”

  He blinked, swallowed hard. This wasn’t going at all the way he’d planned.

  “Are you trying to entice me into spanking you?” She hadn’t, but that’s how he wanted to see it.

  “Want me to get the fuzzy paddle?” She let the towel drop to the floor.

  Hell, yes! But she was trying to distract him, make him forget about his determination to get her to stay in bed. And not for sex.

  Evidently she realized he wasn’t interested in playing around now—he was, but wouldn’t—because she huffed in annoyance. “I don’t have time for arguing with you. I have things to do.”

  He refused to lower his gaze beyond her chin. “All of which can be handled tomorrow or the next day.”

  “You came out of your mother’s womb stubborn, didn’t you?” she accused.

  He shrugged. “So I’ve heard.”

  Brandi saw in the set of Colby’s jaw, in the flare of determination in his eyes that he wasn’t going to be swayed on the matter. He intended to warm her bottom if she refused to go back to bed. She hadn’t even succeeded in tempting him with the hint of some quick, raunchy sex. Darn, pigheaded cowboy.

  As much as she didn’t want to screw up more of her day, she would have to let him do this. He needed to spank her more for himself than because of her. It was no doubt another of his head of household matters. Whatever.

  “Fine. Do it.” She marched over to the bed and stood waiting for him, tapping her foot in impatience. “Well?”

  A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes and he walked in her direction. “Determined to get your way even in this, aren’t you, sweetheart?”

  She didn’t answer because they both knew that was her intention.

  He sat down and started to reach for her arm to help her into position. She shoved his hand away and stretched over his lap, feeling the rough denim against her stomach. She moved forw
ard until her bottom was posed just right.

  He chuckled and she knew this wasn’t going to be bad. He was more worried about her than angry. Plus she’d pretty much dared him to spank her.

  He cupped her bare cheeks with a large hand. The calluses against her soft flesh were more enjoyable than not. When he gave a slight squeeze to her right buttock, her stomach tightened. Warmth filled her from awareness of her husband and moisture beaded on her nether lips. Did he notice?

  “Ah, excited, are you?” he said, wiping at them with a finger. “Naughty woman.”

  “It’s not too late to use the fuzzy paddle,” she offered, pressing into the thick erection at her side.

  Again he chuckled. “Not this time, sweetheart.” His hand lifted and her buttocks tightened in expectation of the first smack. The solid crack of his hand made her suck in a sharp breath. She hadn’t expected it to be so hard.

  He tucked her closer and she prepared herself for whatever he had in mind. His hand lifted and returned with a much softer spank. “You’re sick and it worries me.”

  He began a steady stream of light spanks that were to let her know his disgruntlement with her, but not any kind of anger. “This cold has been hard on you this week. On me, too.”

  She heard the concern in his tone, his love for her. She should have taken the cold medicine earlier on and she might not have gotten so sick. He’d tried to get her to do it, but she’d resisted. Just another incidence of her immaturity, she supposed. A small rebellion.

  “I don’t deserve you,” she whispered in misery. “How can you keep showing me so much patience? I let you down all the time.”

  His hand stilled. “You can be a bit irritating at times, but, sweetheart, you don’t let me down all of the time. Almost never.” He helped her stand and took her hands to keep her in front of him. “We’ve had our issues off and on this year, like any newly married couple. But I couldn’t love you more.”