Sweet Renegade

by Large, Andria

  I smile. “Kaden?” I ask, extending my hand.

  Kaden blatantly looks me over before reaching out and shaking my hand with a firm grasp. “Yes, Ma’am, nice to meet you,” he says, his bright blue eyes studying my face.

  “You, too, and please call me Lizette.” What is it with these guys and the ‘Ma’am’?”

  “Alright. You say you’re here to see Beau?” he asks, his eyes narrowing slightly, making me wonder what he’s thinking.

  “Yes, I’ve been trying to contact him, but his phone isn’t working and neither is your house line,” I reply.

  “Yeah, we have a bit of a problem with some critters gnawing away on our phone line. It’s been down for a month. I haven’t been able to fix it yet,” Kaden says.

  “Oh, what kind of critters?” I grimace, shivers running down my spine.

  Kaden grins at my obvious aversion. “Mice, mostly.”

  I shudder at the thought of there being mice running around in the grass no more than a few feet away. Kaden chuckles. He seems much older than he looks. I know he is a couple of years younger than Beau, but he speaks like a man who is older than Beau’s twenty-three.

  “So, is Beau around? I need to speak with him,” I ask, getting away from the critter subject.

  “He’s out with Rebel,” Kaden responds.

  “Who’s Rebel?” I ask with a frown. Who the fuck is Rebel? Some redneck hippy chick? An unexpected flash a jealousy catches me off guard. What the hell?

  “Beau’s stallion,” Kaden says as if that explains everything.

  “His what?” I reply dryly, blinking at him.

  “His horse.” Kaden laughs. “Come on, let’s see if he’s back.” Gesturing for me to follow.

  Ah! Rebel is a horse! Well, that makes me feel better.

  I follow Kaden as he walks along the porch toward the side of the house. The beautiful porch wraps around the entire house, so Kaden leads me to the back end of it where it overlooks the pastures. In the distance, I can see a horse and rider but they are too far away for me to make out the rider’s features.

  “You might want to cover your ears,” Kaden says with what seems like a naturally cocky smirk.

  I do as I’m told and cover my ears. Kaden then sticks two fingers in his mouth and lets out a high-pitched whistle. I see the rider and horse turn to face them. As Kaden waves his arm, the rider kicks the horse forward and starts back toward the house.

  My breath catches when I realize that the rider is Beau. The closer he gets, the better I can see him. He has his cowboy hat on, no shirt, and beat up looking jeans over his brown cowboy boots. His jaw is scruffy and he looks ruggedly handsome. My stomach does a flip while my traitorous heart starts to flutter madly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Beau look so fucking good. I pretend to have an itch on my face so that I can check to make sure I’m not drooling.

  The horse that he is riding is incredible. He is the biggest horse I’ve ever seen in person and is a beautiful chestnut color with a black flowing mane and tail. His coat is shiny and smooth looking, and his beauty mesmerizes me. My hands are itching to touch him.

  When I glance back at Beau, I can tell that he is surprised to see me. His surprise turns quickly to concern, though. He stops the horse in front of the railing in front of me, and his head now level with mine. He lets out a little whinny as his almost black eyes meet mine.

  “Lizette? What are you doing here?” I hear Beau ask, but the stunning horse in front of me distracts me.

  I reach out, but stop, unsure if I’m allowed to touch the beautiful creature in front of me. My eyes lift to meet Beau’s. “Can I touch him?”

  Beau blinks at me for a second before nodding. I slide my hand up the horse’s nose then move around to his neck. He is silky smooth and warm, and I am in awe of him. I look back up at Beau to find him watching me, his jaw is tight and his light blue eyes are smoldering with desire. For the second time in mere minutes, my breath catches. Why does he have to look at me like that?

  “Kaden, can you bring Rebel back to the stable?” Beau asks as he dismounts from the giant horse and tosses his brother the reins.

  “Sure,” Kaden says and climbs over the railing to hop on the horse. He gives the horse a small kick to get him moving, steering him with the reins toward the stables.

  Beau makes his way to the couple of steps that lead up to the porch. I can’t help but watch his muscled back and tight ass move as he walks up the steps. I continue to watch him as he walks over to me. A swirl of some serious lust makes my lower belly tighten and things down low clench with want. I immediately shove that away as I’ve always done.

  There is something about just the way he walks that is so utterly sexy, a laid back, I-don’t-give-a-fuck kind of gait. My eyes drift over his broad naked shoulders and arms that are corded with ropey muscle, to his wide and chiseled chest. My eyes move down to his abs that look like they are carved out of marble, which flex and move as he walks. Finally, my gaze is drawn down to the front of his jeans, which are just tight enough and worn enough to cup his junk perfectly. Fuck me! In this moment, I hate every single girl who has ever had her hands all over this man.

  “What’s going on? Did something happen?” he asks me, completely oblivious to my appraisal, thank god.

  “No one could get a hold of you. Your phone’s not working and the land line is out,” I say, surprised that I can even talk with the excessive amount of saliva in my mouth.

  “Okay? What did you need to get a hold of me for?” he replies, his blue eyes worried.

  “It’s nothing bad, so stop worrying. The tour has been bumped up a week, so your vacation has to be cut short. You need to be back in New York by Sunday.”

  “You came all the way out here to tell me that?” he asks dryly.

  “I had to!” I huff. “I had no other way to get in touch with you, and usually when you come here, you don’t call anyone until you are leaving.”

  “Beau? I thought I heard you talking to a woman…Oh my word! Lizette?” came Regina Kennedy’s voice from the back door.

  I turn to face her, unable to help the smile that spreads across my face. There is just something about Beau’s mother that I am absolutely in love with. I see her maybe once a year, but I enjoy every minute of the time we share. Regina is the mother I’ve always wished I’d had. I get a twinge of jealousy toward Beau that he has such a wonderful mother while mine is dog shit.

  “Hi, Regina, how are you?” I ask as I move toward the older woman.

  We give each other a kiss on the cheek before hugging.

  “It’s so good to see you, sweetie. I’m good, are you well?” Regina asks with a warm, loving smile on her pretty face. Beau and Kaden look nothing like her, so I’m guessing they look like their father.

  “Yes, I am. Thank you.”

  “What on earth brings you out here?”

  “I had to tell Beau something important but couldn’t get in touch with him, so here I am,” I say with a shrug.

  “How long are you staying?” Regina asks, somewhat hopefully.

  “Oh, I have a return flight in a couple of hours,” I say regretfully.

  “Nonsense! You must stay for dinner! I won’t take no for an answer, young lady,” Regina says sternly.

  I glance at Beau for help, but the bastard shoves his hands in his pockets, rocks back on his heels, and turns his face away while he whistles a tune. Oh, he’s gonna be like that? Well, I will get him back later.

  “I’d love to, I’ll just catch the flight in the morning,” I say, unable to say no to Regina.

  “Great! Beau, go wash up so you can peel the potatoes,” Regina commands before taking my arm in hers. “Come in, sweetheart, we have so much to catch up on.”

  I flash her a smile before glancing at Beau again over my shoulder. I am momentarily stunned when he gives me a grateful smile. It hits me that Regina is probably so lonely out here with no other adults around, other than her children to talk to. It wouldn’t kill me to s
pend the rest of the day with her. I know I will enjoy it and it would be good for Regina, too.

  *Beau*

  I’m sitting at the kitchen table with the trashcan between my knees, as I peel a crapload of potatoes. My mother makes the best mashed potatoes from scratch. I love having home cooked meals. I eat out way too much; it is difficult, though, when I’m always on the go. I watch Lizette from the corner of my eye. I was shocked to see her on my mother’s back porch earlier. A ghost of a smile pulls at my lips, glad the phone isn’t working; now I get to spend some time alone with her.

  She is perched on a stool on the opposite side of the island counter, talking to my mother. Her back is to me, but every once in a while she glances over her shoulder at me. I give her my charming, southern boy smile, which makes her roll her eyes and turn back around.

  Eventually, my mother takes a break from her jabbering and goes to set up the guest bedroom. Lizette turns on her stool and leans her elbows back on the counter. She looks incredible in her black slacks and white sleeveless blouse. Her hair is loose and flowing over her shoulders. I’m thankful that I’m sitting down; otherwise, she might notice the bulge straining against the front of my jeans. I can’t help it. Every time she is near, I end up with a boner.

  “It’s funny seeing you peel potatoes,” Lizette muses, a small smirk on her face, amusement gleaming in her pretty, green eyes.

  I cock an eyebrow at her. “Why?”

  “Um, hello! You’re Beau Kennedy, uber famous pop star, every teenage girl’s wet dream,” she replies as if saying “Duh.”

  I roll my eyes at her. “So?” I huff.

  “Famous people don’t usually peel potatoes, Beau,” she giggles.

  “I’m not most famous people, Lizette,” I reply quietly, dropping my gaze to the potato in my hand.

  “I can see that,” she replies softly.

  I glance back up at her. Her face is impassive and I have no idea what she is thinking, which irks me. She is usually very easy to read.

  “Your mom is great, you know? I just love her to pieces,” she says.

  “Yeah, I do know, thank you.” I nod and send her a grateful smile.

  Lizette nods. “You’re welcome.”

  Silence falls between us. I’m not sure what to say to her. The last time we had talked, she had shot me down again. I don’t know what to do or say to get her to give me the time of day to prove that I’m not the immature little boy that she thinks I am. I may have an idea…

  “Have you ever ridden a horse before?” I test the waters.

  She laughs. “Me? The girl from the city? No.”

  I lift my eyes to meet hers. “Do you want to?” I ask, raising an eyebrow in question.

  She narrows her eyes at me. “That isn’t some sort of cheesy pick up line, is it?”

  I bark out a laugh and shake my head. So, her mind is in the gutter, I see. Nice to know. “No, but that’s good, I might have to use that sometime.”

  Something flashes across her face for a second before it’s gone. I didn’t have enough time to figure out what the look was before she covers it up. I ignore it for now. She isn’t very receptive to me to begin with, so I’m not going to push her to tell me what she is feeling or thinking.

  “So? What’d you think? Would you want to go for a ride after dinner?” I ask her.

  Lizette thinks about it for a moment then nods slowly. “Okay…yeah.”

  I smile. “Good, you’ll have fun, believe me.”

  Yes! She is going to love it!

  After dinner, everyone helps clean up before going off to do their own things. I have Lizette change into borrowed jeans, a t-shirt, and boots from Leila. She didn’t bring anything other than her laptop and purse, thinking that she wasn’t going to be staying. It worked out well, though. Leila’s jeans fit her just fine and the t-shirt is a bit snug, but I sure as hell don’t mind, it makes her tits look fan-fucking-tastic.

  Lizette watches while I saddle up a pretty mare for her, and then Rebel for me. I can feel her watching me. When I glance over at her, she quick looks away, but I can see the slight blush creep up her cheeks. I smirk. She can’t resist me for much longer.

  “There are a couple of things you should know about horses. The biggest thing is to never come up or walk behind a horse. They will kick out and you can get seriously injured,” I say in all seriousness.

  Lizette nods in understanding.

  I then give her the basics on how to steer the horse and what not to do while in the saddle. For the most part, the horses are well trained and know what they are doing. It’s not hard to ride an already trained horse. I hold the horse steady as Lizette clambers on. I almost give into the urge to palm her luscious ass to help her up, but I control myself. I hand her the reins then slip onto the saddle of my own horse.

  “What’s this horse’s name?” she asks.

  “Willow,” I tell her.

  I see her smile fondly and bend forward so that she can speak softly to Willow as she smooths her hand down the mare’s neck. I blink stupidly, my naive heart skipping a beat at the sight before me. This is really the first time that I’ve ever seen Lizette dressed down, and I have to say that I love the look on her. She looks comfortable and at ease, when she usually looks uptight and tense. And that smile she’s wearing - the sweet, awe-filled smile - is doing crazy things to my heart.

  She lifts her gaze to mine. “What?” she questions, still petting the horse’s neck.

  I swallow hard. “You look so beautiful right now,” I blurt.

  That blush is back and it creeps up her cheeks again. She straightens back up and drops her eyes away from mine. She shifts uncomfortably in the saddle and clears her throat.

  “Are we gonna go?” she asks, changing the subject.

  “Yep,” I mutter and urge my mount forward.

  Willow follows instinctively. I take Lizette along the trail that leads around the large property. The sun is starting to set and the sky is a mix of pinks, blues, and golds. None of that is as lovely as Lizette in my eyes, though. I glance over my shoulder at her. She is smiling softly as she looks out at the world around her. I feel the determination set in. She is going to go out with me, I will not take no for an answer. If I can get at least one kiss from those luscious lips of hers, I can die a happy man.

  I’m about to see if she wants to go a little faster when some kind of animal darts out in front of us, spooking the horses. I’m skilled enough on horseback to know how to control a spooked horse, but Lizette on the other hand, not so much. I watch in horror as Willow bucks, tossing a screaming Lizette off her back. My heart stops beating and the raw terror I feel is nothing I’ve ever dealt with before. I have a flash of Lizette in a motorized wheelchair with a breathing tube sticking out of her throat because she’s a paraplegic.

  “Fuck!” I exclaim viciously and quickly jump off Rebel.

  I sprint over to where she fell; she’s lying in a patch of long grass on the side of the path. I skid to a halt, landing on my hands and knees next to her. Her hands are covering her face and her whole body is trembling. I tear my hat off and toss it aside.

  “Lizzie? Sugar, are you hurt?” I ask frantically, as I look over the rest of her body.

  I don’t see any bones sticking out, which is a relief. Lizette slides her hands away from her face and rests them on her heaving chest. I’m confused when I see that she’s laughing to the point of crying. Oh good god, she’s probably banged her head and is now delirious.

  “Lizzie?” I ask again in concern and fear.

  “That…was…so scary,” she says, shaking her head.

  I quickly clasp the sides of her head, just under her ears, to stop her from moving her head. “Don’t move, you could have seriously injured yourself,” I say, my voice surprising harsh. But damn, I’m practically shitting my pants here.

  “No, I’m okay. I swear. I mostly landed on my ass, which has plenty of padding and cushioned my fall.” She giggles and reaches up to hold my wrist
s.

  “Nothing hurts? You can move your legs?” I ask seriously. My heart is still trying to pound its way up my throat.

  “I’m okay, Beau, just a little shaken,” Lizette assures me.