He didn’t answer, but grinned knowingly, and shifting her around to face the shower curtain, he knotted the tail over the steel curtain rod, bringing her arms above her head. He had no concerns about her pulling it down. He’d installed it himself, and bondage never far from his mind, he’d made sure it was securely bolted.
“Now you’re at my mercy,” he purred, standing behind her and placing his lips on her neck.
Cathy closed her eyes, and leaned her head against the crook of her elbow.
“Why do I love this?” she moaned. “Is there something wrong with me?”
“I’d say there’s something right with you,” he whispered, roaming his palms over her slippery skin.
Placing one hand on her breast, he sent the other between her legs, delighting in her soft mutters of pleasure as he began to tweak her nipples and rub her clit. She was already lost in the salacious play, and her quick capitulation had sent his cock surging to life. Nestling his hardness against her fleshy backside, he wanted to pull out her hips and ravage her, but there wasn’t time, and he was sure they’d end up making far too much noise. She was already trying to suppress her moans, but he could sense it was becoming more difficult with every passing second.
“Please won’t you fuck me?” she whispered. “I need you to.”
“No baby, not until tonight,” he murmured, “but I’m gonna let you come.”
She groaned gratefully, and when his hands began to knead her breasts, and his finger began rubbing her nub with renewed vigor, she was sure her knees would buckle.
“Scott, I’m feel so weak,” she gasped, “My legs…I can barely stand up.”
“I know baby, don’t worry, I’ve got you,” he promised, moving his arm from her breasts and gripping her around the waist. “You can come when you want.”
“I’m so close,” she breathed, “so close.”
“Don’t cry out, you’ve gotta keep it quiet.”
She suddenly threw back her head, and he felt her thighs clamp together, squeezing against his hand. Her body was writhing in his grasp, and she was hissing in the air. He could hear her swallowing back her wails, then just as quickly as it had hit, her climax was over and she was falling back against him. Moving his hand from her pussy, he raised it above her head and untied his knots.
“My gosh,” she whimpered, turning around and putting her arms around his waist. “I think I need to sit down.”
“I’ve got you, sugar, just lean on me,” he said, reaching past her and turning off the faucets.
Holding her tightly, he slid them down the tile wall until he was sitting on the floor, and curling into him, she let out a heavy sigh.
“That was completely insane,” she muttered. “Are you crazy?”
“Are you sayin’ you didn’t enjoy it?”
“Heck no, I’m not saying that,” she said, lifting her head and gazing up at him, “but I am saying you are one crazy cowboy.”
“I’ll admit to that!”
“What time is it?”
“Probably close to one o’clock. I guess you’d better be gettin’ ready.”
“I guess I’d better.”
“I’m gonna stay and take a quick shower myself. I’ve been workin’ all mornin’.”
“Okay, I’m getting up,” she grunted. “It’s going to take me more than a few minutes to get dressed and put on some makeup.”
“Let me help you,” he offered, and rising to his feet, he reached down, took her hand, and pulled her up.
As she pushed aside the shower curtain and stepped out, he gave her a playful swat. Spinning around she shot him a wide-eyed, mock look of horror.
“Just who do you think you are? You can’t go around slapping my butt!”
“You bet I can, and I will, frequently,” he chuckled, yanking the curtain back into place.
He was staying behind to shower for two reasons; the first, to take care of his raging erection, and the second, because he didn’t want to look totally disheveled when he met Renaldo Cavalleri. He didn’t know if it was male ego, or that he wanted Cathy to have a sense of pride about him when she introduced them, but he had a strong feeling that he needed to be somewhat together.
The sound of the bathroom door closing told him she’d left, so wrapping his fingers around his urgent cock, he rubbed himself aggressively, allowing his orgasm to flow freely through his body, detonating in a satisfying release. It had felt good, the entire morning had felt good, and taking a moment to catch his breath, he rinsed off, then stepped out into the small bathroom.
Standing outside the barn, Benny and Todd were gaping at the gleaming Rolls Royce that had just pulled into the parking area.
“Who the hell is that?” Todd mumbled.
“It’s a friend of my dad,” Cathy said as ambled past them.
“Do you think he’d mind if we took a closer look?” Benny asked, his eyes riveted on the impressive vehicle.
“I’m sure he wouldn’t. Why don’t you walk over there with me.”
The two young men shared an excited glance, then fell into step beside her.
“Who is he?” Todd asked. “Why is he here?”
“He just a guy,” she said casually, not wanting to go into Renaldo’s show jumping fame. “He’s doing some business with my father and he’s into horses. I promised him I show him around Crystal Valley, and he wanted to meet my mare.”
“Wow…it looks even better up close,” Benny mumbled.
“No shit,” Todd agreed, “that’s a helluva car.”
Stepping out, Renaldo smiled across at them as they approached, and Cathy couldn’t help but be impressed. He was wearing spotless designer jeans, a forest green shirt tucked loosely into the waist, and to her surprise, cowboy boots. Really cool, dark brown caiman, cowboy boots.
“Hello,” he said warmly. “Nice place.”
“Thanks, this is Benny and Todd, they work here.”
“The cogs that make a place like this run smoothly,” he said diplomatically. “I’m Renaldo.”
“Your car, it’s amazing,” Benny managed.
“Feel free to look,” Renaldo said. “Cathy, take me to your horses. I’m looking forward to this.”
“Sure, right this way. Cinnamon is my jumper, but we don’t show any more, just have some fun, and my other horse is Moon Doggie. He’s retired. He’s a big gray. He was my horse when I was a junior, an amazing jumper. I won a lot on him.”
“Warmblood?”
“Dutch warmblood, dad had him brought in from Europe. Cinnamon’s a thoroughbred off the track. She’s crazy athletic.”
“They generally are,” he replied, “and the mares are very sensitive.”
“Exactly! People don’t understand that about thoroughbred mares, and she has an opinion about everything.”
“Like smart women,” he grinned.
Cathy laughed, and she could see why her mother was so taken with him. He was warm, and certainly charming, but he also gave the impression that, in spite of his wealth, he was down to earth. As they entered the barn she began to think that maybe the day wasn’t going to be as tedious as she’d feared.
“We just need to walk through here to get out to the paddock area,” she explained, wondering what had happened to Scott.
“This barn is well-run,” he remarked, looking around at the swept floors and the clean stalls. “Where do you keep the manure?”
“It’s on the other side, away from the barn and the corrals. It helps with the flies.”
“I’ve been at so many barns that don’t think that way, and it’s a no-brainer.”
“Me too,” she declared, “but obviously not as many as you,” she added quickly.
“This is very good,” he nodded as the paddocks came into view. “I like this very much.”
“Cinnamon is over there, the dark bay,” she said, pointing at her mare’s corral.
Looking behind her, wondering what had happened to Scott, she was relieved to see him ambling out of the ba
rn. He was staring at the ground, as if deep in thought, and for a moment she was sure something was wrong, but then he lifted his head and smiled across at her. She smiled back and paused her step, waiting for him to catch up.
Her instinct had been right. Something was wrong. Scott had been leaving his office to find her when he’d seen Benny and Todd chattering excitedly just outside the barn. Moving quickly over to join them, worried that something was wrong, they’d pointed across to the black Rolls Royce Wraith. Shining like a black diamond in the sun, it looked incongruous against the run-of-the mill, dusty cars, parked nearby.
He had been shocked. He’d expected Renaldo Cavalleri to arrive in a nice car, even an expensive Mercedes like Cathy’s father, but a Rolls Royce? Crossing his arms he’d stared at the ground, suddenly understanding why Cathy’s mother was so determined to see her daughter with the renowned international show jumper. The Coleman’s were a society couple, refined, sophisticated, and wealthy. Renaldo was a man of their ilk, a man who could offer Cathy so much more than Scott could.
Was Marianne Coleman right?
Her methods were unconscionable, but that didn’t make her reasoning flawed, or her desired result unjustified.
Doing his best not to let the boys see his distressing wave of conflicting emotions, Scott had stayed with them for a short time to admire the car shimmering so grandly in the sun, then headed off to find Cathy.
Assuming she’d taken her well-heeled visitor to the paddocks, as he’d walked through the barn he’d tried to pull himself together. Though he had a smile on his face when he strode outside near the corrals, it was with a heavy gut that he’d raised his head and looked across at his lovely girl standing next to the impeccably dressed man.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Scott wasn’t sure if it was the pristine look of Renaldo’s obviously new boots, the stiff crease in his jeans, or just his overly polished appearance, but the first word that came to Scott’s mind was, slick, and the thought of Cathy spending the day with him sent his heckles up.
“Hi Scott, I’m glad to see you,” Cathy smiled as he sauntered up. “I have a visitor here I’d like you to meet.”
Scott wanted to hug her. She’d made him grin, and it was a sincere grin. She was playing the role of his innocent friend to a tee.
“Renaldo, this is Scott, he’s the-“
“Let me guess,” Renaldo interrupted, “the barn manager, right?”
“Uh, yeah,” Scott nodded, “for the time bein’.”
He saw Cathy shoot him a questioning look, silently asking why he’d not corrected Renaldo, and told him he was, in fact, the barn’s owner.
“Yeah, I know how it is,” Renaldo remarked. “Guys like you move around a lot, it’s just part of the horse business. How long have you been here?”
“About five years.”
“That’s a long time for a manager,” Renaldo said, raising his eyebrows, “but I can see why they keep you around. Everything looks great.”
“Thanks,” Scott replied, despising the man’s condescending attitude.
“It’s real hard to find good managers. The barns I’m associated with are in Europe, and it’s just as tough over there. If you’re ever looking to move countries, let me know.”
“I won’t be doin’ that, but thanks anyway,” Scott said graciously, fighting the desire to slap the stupid smile off Renaldo’s much too shiny face. “My main focus is keepin’ the boarders happy and safe, like Cathy here. She’s real special to me. I watch out for her. She told me she was takin’ someone on a tour of Crystal Valley today, so I guess that’d be you. She’d better come back safe and sound or you’ll have me to answer to.”
His tone had been jovial, but his eyes had said he meant it, and Renaldo instinctively straightened his back.
Staring at them, Cathy had to smile. Scott was being subtly but powerfully protective, and she was fascinated by the stark contrast between the two men. They were polar opposites. Though Renaldo was classically handsome, he was small in stature, and Scott’s physique made him look almost scrawny. On the other side of the coin, Renaldo’s impeccable wardrobe made Scott’s barn clothes look even scruffier, but then she flashed back to how Scott been dressed the night before, and he’d looked every bit the well-dressed man about town.
“You don’t have worry. I promise I’ll take good care of her,” Renaldo declared, feigning a smile, then turned away and directed his attention back to Cathy. “Now I’d like to wander into the paddock and meet your mare.”
“In those?” Cathy asked, staring down at Renaldo’s spotless, expensive boots.
“I can see a dry path along that edge of the fence line. I’ll follow it around and wait on the other side.”
“What do you mean, wait?” Cathy asked.
“You’ll see,” Renaldo smiled, and opening the gate, he walked into the paddock.
“He’s going to have a long wait?” Cathy said softly. “Does he expect Cinnamon to just walk over to him? She won’t. She’s standoffish with strangers.”
“I guess we’ll find out,” Scott replied, “and I meant what I said. If you don’t come back in one piece, I’ll punch him in the nose.”
“I think he got the message,” Cathy giggled, “but, Scott, why did you let him think you’re the manager?”
“I am.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Guys like that, they need to feel like they’re the top dog, and, Cathy, I don’t care. If I’d told him I was the owner, he would’ve felt compelled to tell me about something he owns that’s better, something I couldn’t hope to, like his Rolls. It’s a stupid game. I couldn’t be bothered.”
“Wow.”
“What?”
“You really don’t need to prove anything to anyone, do you?”
“I haven’t really thought about it,” he replied, “but check it out. He’s in the process of provin’ somethin’ to you right now.”
Renaldo was standing completely still, and Cinnamon was strolling across to him.
“Good grief, I don’t believe it.”
“Yep, he’s got it,” Scott remarked. “It’s why he’s a star. Horses want to do for him.”
“Do for him,” Cathy mumbled, repeating the phrase. “I’ve never heard it put that way.”
Cinnamon had reached Renaldo, and after sniffing his sweater, she lowered her head and let him scratch her ears.
“You okay for me to go now, sugar?” Scott asked quietly, turning his back on the scene.
“You want to leave?”
“I thinkin’ it might be best. He’s gotta take that moment he’s havin’, and stand in the spotlight alone. He’ll feel like he’s sharin’ it if I stick around, besides, I need to get that stuff loaded.”
“Thanks, Scott, for everything, especially joining me in the shower,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome,” he whispered back, a grin crossing his face. “Call me when you get a chance, and I’ll see you later.”
She watched him stride away, then looked back to see what was happening with Cinnamon and Renaldo. Cinnamon was standing quietly in front of him, but Renaldo was staring at her. Had he picked up on what was happening between her and Scott?
“That’s very impressive,” she called out.
He didn’t reply, but began walking back, and to her surprise Cinnamon stayed right by his side.
“She is a very sweet mare,” he said as he approached. “Very brave, very loyal, but as you said, she has opinions. She is always eager to work, but when she’s done, she’s done.”
“That’s amazing,” Cathy exclaimed, now understanding what Scott had meant about Renaldo needing his moment to shine. “That’s exactly right, how do you know that?”
“Horses talk to me. It’s a connection I can’t explain. I have always held great respect for them, I love them, I truly do, and they feel that.”
“I don’t even know what to say. That was remarkable.”
“You need to spend more time
with her.”
“But I spend a huge amount of time with her,” Cathy declared, then realizing she’d sounded defensive, she added, “sorry, but I’m here every day, and I love her to bits.”
“I mean, with her. Not riding her, or grooming her, or feeding her, I mean, with her, like I just was. Sitting on the ground in her paddock, watching the sunset with her, doing nothing except being in her presence.”
Cathy suddenly found herself talking with an entirely different man. Not the man who had stood proudly beside his Rolls Royce as Benny and Todd had ooh’d and aah’d, not the man who had been supercilious with Scott, not the man who had his jeans starched and creased, but a man who was extraordinarily sensitive, and kind, and deep-hearted.
Who are you, Renaldo Cavalleri? Do you have multiple personalities? This is bizarre.
“If you do that,” he continued, “you’ll develop a completely different relationship with your horse. Cathy, are you listening?”
“Yes, yes, I am, and I will, thank you, Renaldo, I will definitely do that.”
“So, shall we go on our tour?”
“Definitely,” she smiled. “Let’s do it.”
Not wanting to see her climb into the Rolls Royce and take off with Renaldo, Scott had returned to his office to box up his files. The boys were loading the lighter items, and when they needed him they’d let him know, but when Todd stepped in, he proudly announced everything was done and they were ready to leave.
“I wanted to help you with the heavy stuff,” Scott frowned. “You should have waited.”
“It was easy,” Todd replied. “The only heavy piece was that slab bench. It was the first thing we moved, and it fit into the bed of the pickup. Then it was just the saddles and shit.”
“Thanks, Todd, that’s great. Why don’t you guys go on ahead? The house is open and I’ve left some donuts and a flask of coffee on the kitchen table. Catch your breath and help yourself. I need to swing back by my old place before I head up.”
“We can unload by ourselves if you want, then zip back down and meet you at your old house for the other stuff. It’ll save you a trip.”
Her Forbidden Cowboy (Cowboys After Dark Book 12) Page 12
