“I guess I just realized that I wasn’t acting like the person I want to be.”
Chapter 20
Cass
Instead of making our way back to the house once the argument is settled, Lars takes me to the horse barn and stops beside Thunder’s stall. “If you’re going to be his trainer for a month, you need to know his history,” he says as he reaches out to pet the horse’s nose. Thunder reacts by jumping away and snorting restlessly.
“Why do I need to know his history?” I ask.
“Think of horses like people. If you become best friends with someone, it's best to know who they are on the inside and what forged them into the person they’ve become. Then you’re prepared for any eventuality. It’s the same with horses.”
I nod and reach out to pet Thunder and he gratefully accepts my caress.
Lars shakes his head in wonder.
“Is there a reason he won’t let anyone touch him?” I ask.
“There is, but part of it is still a mystery, especially now that he’ll let you get close to him. Thunder is a wild speed demon and he was a great racehorse. In fact, he was legendary. I believe he even set a state record of some sort, which is why we agreed to take him in. He was raised from birth by Catherine, my sister’s best friend, to be the best that he could be.”
He stops to watch Thunder rub his head affectionately against my shoulder.
“But Catherine was bonded so closely to him that only she could get him to ride to his full potential. Her father tried hiring professional riders, but none of them could work Thunder the way she did. Only Catherine could control him the way he needed to be controlled.”
“So, he won’t let people touch him because of his bond with Catherine? Why doesn’t she still have him then?”
Lars pulls a bucket away from the wall and sits on it, his shoulders slouched. He never slouches, so it is odd to see his posture so loose and relaxed. “Catherine died of an inoperable brain tumor at the age of seventeen.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I gasp.
“Yeah, it was a crying shame. She was a wonderful kid.”
“But you said Thunder won races. Who rode him?”
“Everyone knew she wouldn’t live to eighteen, so they allowed her to enter professional races as a minor. All she wanted was to be the best, and Thunder gave her that gift.”
I crouch next to him. How I wish I could put my hand on his shoulder and be a friend to him. “What happened…after?”
“The loss was hard for everyone, she was so special, but especially for her dad. He couldn’t live with the reminder that was Thunder. One night after he had seen the bottom of a bottle of whiskey, he took his shotgun to the stables and tried to kill Thunder. Fortunately, he was so drunk he missed, but it scarred Thunder for life. He became so nervous, no one could get near him. The only person he would allow close to him was my sister, Sophia. So, I bought him and she brought him here.”
“Do you have any female trainers or farm hands?”
Lars, not understanding what I’m hinting at, shakes his head. “All of my trainers are men. I only have one female farmhand, but she works primarily with cattle.”
I stand up and pace the floor restlessly. “Have you ever thought of the possibility that Thunder just doesn’t like men? I mean, if he is okay with all the women he has met, what’s to say he isn’t sexist?”
Lars stands too and looks at Thunder, who eyes him back warily.
“That’s impossible. Horses aren’t sexist,” he states firmly.
“Okay, scrap that. You said that Thunder bonded extremely closely with Catherine, right? Well, it’s a proven fact that men and women have different biological scents. When he sees a woman, it’s possible that she reminds him of the connection he had with Catherine? Maybe something in your sister and I reminds him of Catherine.”
“And maybe he associates men with the man who tried to kill him after his beloved Catherine died,” Lars says quietly.
Lars stands and moves away distractedly toward Devil’s Ride. He lays his large hand on the horse’s neck. It is a gesture that is at once possessive and tender.
“You really love him, don’t you?” I ask.
Pride flashes in his eyes and he takes a step closer to the big, impressive beast. “Yeah, he is my boy.”
“I can see why you chose him,” I say with a chuckle. I know nothing of horse breeds, but this one has to be mixed because I’ve never seen a thoroughbred with quite so many colors. Unlike Thunder, who has a certain softness to him, Devil’s Ride is aloof and proud.
“Why?” he asks.
“Because he’s like you.”
“Explain.”
“He’s contrary and difficult,” I say with a grin.
Lars takes two long strides in my direction and stops right in front of me. In the stall behind me, Thunder jumps and backs himself against the wall, but I can concentrate only on our closeness. Lars lifts a hand and I follow it with my eyes until his finger brushes gently against my ear. It takes me a moment to realize that I am holding my breath. I exhale loudly.
Lars moves his lips to my ear and his breath sends goosebumps down my spine. His other hand grasps my hip in a tight hold. “We have a lot in common and it’s not what you think. We both love to be ridden hard by a contrary, difficult woman,” he says in a deep, rasping tone.
My entire body tightens and my breath comes in shallow gasps. I close my eyes and wait, hoping more will come of the moment, but nothing does.
His touch leaves my hip and by the time I open my eyes, he is already walking out of the barn, shoulders stiff and rising rapidly.
“I’ll see you at the house.” His voice is calm and even, but his body mechanics are the complete opposite. I can’t figure out which is more telling.
His muscles ripple beneath his shirt as he walks away, and I can’t peel my eyes off him. He is perfect and I hate that nothing can come out of our relationship. If I weren’t Tamara, this is exactly the man I would choose for myself.
Chapter 21
Lars
The air is still and the moon is full. Through the open curtains, blue light floods the room. I lie on my bed and find it impossible to sleep. My phone vibrates on the nightstand. I pick it up and look at the screen.
“Where are you?” my brother asks.
“Back at the spread.”
“Oh yeah. How’s Honeywell’s kid doing?”
He catches me off guard so I blurt honestly, “I don’t know.”
He gives a short burst of laughter. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“I mean it’s like dealing with Jekyll and Hyde. One moment she’s like this she-devil complete with a rattle in her tail, and the next she’s this awesome, intelligent, caring person.”
“That’s weird.”
“I know,” I say with feeling. “Half the time I want to tan her hide and the other times…”
“You didn’t finish your sentence, bro,” my brother mocks.
The rest of the sentence is I want to fucking rip her clothes off and bury my dick to the hilt inside her. “Why did you call?” I growl.
“Just checking up on my little brother, but now that I’ve scented blood…”
“You haven’t scented blood. Nothing is going on.”
“Yet.”
My brother is a pain in my ass. “Look, I’ve had a long day and if you’ve nothing to tell me, I’m going back to sleep.”
“Whoa, she’s really got you tied up in knots, hasn’t she?”
“Back off, Matt. Nothing is going on and nothing will.”
“I was messing with you before, but now that I see how raw you are, I should warn you, little brother. Tamara’s more she-devil complete with rattlesnake than the awesome individual she puts on to get what she wants. Even if she was that sweet, caring person, she lives in LA. There’s nothing in it for you. Fuck her if you absolutely must, then put her out of your head. For good. And whatever you do, don’t let her sense your weakness or
she’ll sink her talons into you.”
I massage my left temple and sigh heavily.
“I’m serious, Lars. Joking aside, she’s trouble. Big trouble. I didn’t want to put you off keeping her at the ranch before because it never even crossed my mind that you’d fall for such a manipulative little brat, but now that you are showing a real lack of character judgement, I have to tell you that I have it first hand: The bitch will fuck anything with a dick.”
I close my eyes and grit my teeth. I hate my brother talking about her like that. “Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it,” I say and quickly end the call.
My brother is right. Of course, he’s right. How could I be attracted to her? It makes no sense at all, but it’s impossible for me to explain to my brother or anyone else what Tamara does to my insides. I spring out of bed and pace the floor of my bedroom. My heart is banging as if it’s about to fucking explode, and my damned dick is rock hard
I’m aching for her.
My mind races with all kinds of thoughts. Not just any thoughts, but the kind of filthy fantasies I haven't entertained since I was a horny teenager. I feel as restless as a wolf at full moon. It feels as if something is calling to me and the call is irresistible.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. I still smell the scent of her hair in my nostrils. Fresh. My ears have memorized the sound of her voice, and I don’t even have to close my eyes to see that sweet body that just begs to be dominated. I think of her long shapely legs wrapped around my waist. My cock in her stubborn mouth. Oh, that mouth.
I am suddenly rock hard. Again.
I turn on my heel and walk out of the bedroom. The landing is in darkness. I walk down it to the bedroom at the end, open the door, walk through the space, and stand at the window. The moonlight shines soft blue over the open landscape. The mountain range rises like a hulking dark beast against the velvet sky full of stars.
But my eyes don’t linger on its beauty. They jerk down to her patio, to the circle of light made by the small candle burning on the little table. My gaze falls on the gleam of her skin. Most of her is huddled inside a blanket, but from here I can see the curve of her cheek and her fingers. When she first arrived, she had long fake nails. Every single one is broken now.
We are two people awake under the same sky.
How can a woman who sits alone looking at stars be all bad? Could it be that all those rumors and ugly stories are all lies and exaggeration? She was caught drinking and driving. That’s no lie. Maybe she has changed. Maybe living here has changed her.
A sigh goes through me. A longing I’ve never known gnaws deep inside me. Tamara Honeywell is poison, but she is proving to be such a sweet poison that I’m finding impossible to resist. I know…
It’s crazy.
It’s stupid.
It’s madness.
It’s wrong.
Yet, she’s so fucking delectable I want to bite that curvy ass. I want to squeeze those fleshy buttocks in my hands while I…What the fuck is wrong with me. She’s spoiled, selfish, annoying, argumentative, stubborn…
Fucking hell, I can’t get her out of my mind.
I clench my hands to stop myself from going to her. A dark laugh huffs up my throat. It won’t be tonight, Lars. It’ll be never if you know what’s good for you. Stay away from her. The woman is like quicksand. The harder I try the more stuck I become, and the more my body craves hers, but here’s the real kicker. My brother will think I’m nuts if I tell him, but I don’t just want to have her body. I want to possess her and protect her and keep her.
When I heard that ass James had horn-dogged on her, I felt boiling fury slam into my brain. I wanted to race after him and rip his throat out. Then watch him bleed out. That’s how furious I was. The predatory instinct and aggression in me is something I never suspected I’d have. It scares the ever-living shit out of me. Even now. Just thinking of him trying it on with her.
A soft snarl rattles out of my throat.
I turn away from the window and go back to my room to lie on my bed, awake, alone, and tormented with images of her for hours. In the end, I give up. Fuck it. What the hell, I’m not going to sleep with a raging hard on.
I fist my hand around my cock and jerk off while thinking of Tamara Honeywell’s sweet pussy. I bet she shaves it. I bet it’s pink and wet. I close my eyes and visualize her naked. Not one stitch on that beautiful body.
She spreads her legs. Jesus, she’s not wearing any underwear. Her pussy is so pretty I want to eat it.
“Let me suck you,” she begs, and opens that plump mouth of hers.
Pre-cum drips from my engorged cock.
I feed my cock to her hot, wet mouth. She takes it greedily and moans with the taste. She takes me into her throat. Her mouth is hot and soft and it feels awesome.
I stroke the entire length of my shaft faster and faster.
“Are you going to fuck my tight pussy?” she mewls.
“Oh, yes, cupcake, I sure am.”
I pull out of her mouth and lie her face down on the bed. She lifts her ass up into the air and offers her pussy to me. It’s all pink and wet and begging for it. I plunge my bare cock into all that pinkness.
“Harder, Lars. Harder,” she begs.
“Oh! fuck, Tamara,” I groan as my legs stiffen.
The build-up feels like floodwater bursting through a dam. Nothing can contain it. Nothing. I explode, shooting my hot load like a fountain into the air. It covers my hands in a sticky mess. Jesus, it’s been so long since I've come like that.
My heart is hammering away and my cock is still hard for her. I just lie there and know... I’m in so much trouble.
Chapter 22
Cass
As I walk toward the barn I realize that today marks my ninth day on the ranch. Despite all the hard work and slanging matches with Lars, I’ve loved it. I’ve also started to meet a few of the other employees, and thankfully, not one has heard of Tamara Honeywell. It’s been a nice change.
Deep in thought, I nearly jump out of my skin when I hear a man’s voice call, “Howdy.”
Expecting to be alone in the barn, I take a startled step back. “You scared the bejesus out of me,” I say, still clutching my chest.
A sandy-haired, slim man about my age grins widely. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to.”
“Are you the new groom?” I ask uncertainly. I was expecting Lars to hire a female farmhand after our realization that Thunder doesn’t do well with men.
He looks sheepish. “Not really. I’m just supposed to hang around and help you if you need it. Lars says you’ll mostly be doing your own thing.”
I smile at the eagerness he exudes. “All right, I’ll work on doing my own thing, then.” Taking a step away from him, I head in the direction of Thunder’s stall.
To my amusement, he follows me like a lamb.
“So, is it true that you’re famous?” he asks after a moment. His voice is awed and it irritates me.
I’m not famous. I’m just a poor girl from Chicago trying to pay off a nasty loan shark. I put the halter on Thunder and start leading him out. “Yeah, I’m basically a godess in Los Angeles,” I say dryly. The phrase is egotistical and I hate hearing it come from my lips.
His brow furrows and I can tell that I have put him off me.
It saddens me a little that I have to behave in such a way, but those are the terms of my job.
“I really don’t care if you're famous,” he says.
“Then why’d you bring it up?” I ask as I grab hold of Thunder’s lead rope and tie him to a post in the grooming bay the way I’d seen the other farmhands do. I notice that Thunder isn’t going crazy around him. He only looks slightly weary.
“I was just curious,” he says, raising his hands defensively.
I grab the soft bristle brush and begin running it through Thunder’s mane. Though I’ve only ever done it twice before, I’ve watched how Thunder reacts to each of the strokes and do only the ones he enjoys.
“You’re ex
cellent at that,” he says from so close behind me that I jump.
I whirl around. “What is your problem, buddy?” I ask irritably. I don’t need another James.
He takes a few steps back and looks at me mournfully. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean nothing,” he mumbles.
“Just keep your distance, please. You’re going to spook the horse.” Although, the truth is, Thunder seems all right with him. It’s me who’s finding his good-natured invasion into my personal space annoying.
“All right. I’ll just wait right here then,” he agrees amiably.
I sigh. “Look. You can tell Lars I really don’t need a babysitter. I’ve been working with these horses on my own every day for the last nine days, and I haven’t done anything stupid or messed up yet.”
He tips his hat in that charming way cowboys do. “Pardon, ma’am, but with all due respect, I’m being paid to keep an eye on you, so I need to stay by your side. I really hope you understand.”
“What do you mean you’re being paid to keep an eye on me?” I demand, my hands on my hips.
I must look fierce because he takes an involuntary step back. “I am technically a farmhand. I repair fences and work with the chickens. I’m good with chickens, but I’m being paid extra to watch you.”
“What do you mean by ‘watch’?”
“I’m not allowed to leave your side,” he admits uncomfortably.
“What?”
His eyes widen. “I’m just doing my job.”
“Did Lars ask you to spy on me?” I ask.
He squirms. “No, ma’am. I’m just supposed to keep you safe.”
“If he’s trying to shirk his own duties by hiring you…”
His eyes widen with alarm. “No, ma’am. He’s trying his hardest to be with you, but it’s tough for him to find time in his schedule.”
“Yeah, because feeding and milking cows take so long,” I say sardonically.
The CEO & I Page 24
