Stony Creek Cowboy [Stony Creek] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Taylor Berke

  In the darkness, a hand shot out and grabbed her by her throat. Billie heard a high-pitched scream and realized it came from her. A huge, dirty hand clamped down over her mouth and she was shoved up against the side of the building. Her heart pounding in fear, she looked into the face of man accosting her.

  “Don’t make another sound, Doc. I just want to talk to you. Calm down and I will uncover your mouth, but if you scream again, I will have to show you how real men deal with women around here.”

  Billie nodded her head, as though in agreement. As the hand was lifted, she took a deep breath and was assailed with a stench as though Len had bathed in Jack Daniels. “What the heck is wrong with you? Get your hands off of me this second before I rearrange your personal anatomy! There is nothing I want to hear that could possibly come from your foul mouth!”

  “Listen, Doc, it would be to your advantage to be a little nice to me, considering the position I have got you in. The Powells have gone to jerk off with the rest of the men, so there ain’t nobody to come save you. So calm it on down and we can make a deal,” he confidently said while running his disgusting gaze over her body. Billie felt it as though it was his hands running over her instead and shuddered in more revulsion than fear.

  He mistook her reaction. “Maybe you do really want some of this,” he said as he felt her shudder. He ground his groin against her, making bile rise in her throat. He put his hand over her mouth again just as she began to scream for help.

  She fought like a wildcat, trying to scratch, kick, and punch him, but he was way too strong for her. He had knocked her mace from her hand and had Billie easily pinned with his ranch-strong arms. Fear started to overtake Billie as she realized she couldn’t fight him and win, but she vowed that she was going to leave him marked for sure.

  The tussle was making so much noise that Len didn’t hear Lizzie charging down the alleyway. She jumped onto Len’s back and stuck her manicured fingernails into his eyes, giving Billie a chance to free herself. Both women started screaming their heads off and viscously counterattacking the drunken sicko who dared to accost Billie. Len tried to shake off Lizzie while maintaining a one-handed hold on Billie. He howled in pain and Lizzie scoured his cheek with her nails.

  In a desperate attempt to rid himself of Lizzie’s interference, he suddenly bent and flipped her over his shoulder and onto the alley’s pavement.

  Thinking that he now had the upper hand, Len confidently stepped with one boot onto Lizzie’s chest and he continued his choke hold on Billie against the wall. “Whatcha gonna do now, little bitch? Maybe I should take both of you? Might be sporting. Two feisty women make for a whole lot of fun.” Len let out a loud belch and lewdly rubbed his crotch with his free hand. Both women closed their eyes in disgust instead of watching him grin with pleasure as he ran his hand up and down his obvious erection. “Old Len has enough meat for both of you to feel real good. Who should I take first? Hmm? I think I will start with Doctor Prissy Pants here for holding out on me but giving it up for the Prince of Powell. Then I will give the town’s big-talking tease a ride that she won’t soon forget. Yeah, I think that is a fucking great idea!”

  He struggled as both women were trying desperately to scream and fight their way away from his nauseating body. It was hard for him to keep his direct focus on them. He was startled when he heard another distinctly calm, masculine voice answer his question.

  “I think that would be a very, very bad idea, Len. Both of these ladies are going to have to regretfully decline your polite invitation,” the barely controlled angry voice answered.

  Len made a fatal mistake in his plan when he thought all the brothers had left in Jackson’s truck. It had only been Jackson and Brody only who were on their way to play poker.

  Len swung in the direction the voice came from right into a huge meaty fist. The women immediately broke free and held on to each other as they moved behind their saviors. Len lay crumpled and unconscious on the alleyway floor.

  Ben stood like an avenging angel over the still form, eyes blazing with fury. “Are you both all right? Did he hurt either of you?” he managed to roughly ask them. Cole wrapped an arm around each of the trembling women, moving them a bit further away from their attacker. He paused only to call for the sheriff and then resumed gently rubbing both of their backs.

  Lizzie looked at Ben. “We are okay, I think. When I saw him accost Billie, I ran in to try to help. I guess I need to work on my rescuer skills, huh?” She laughed. She nervously glanced at Billie who looked like she was in shock. “Billie, hon? Are you okay?”

  “I think so, maybe, not sure yet,” was all Billie could manage with a smile for a moment. They heard the pounding of obviously male footsteps running down toward them. Billie felt herself being ripped away from Cole and swung up into a very strong male body. Jackson.

  She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, allowing herself to calm down now that he was here. In the next second, she wrapped her arms in a bear hug around Jackson’s waist, trying to sink into his comforting warmth. She felt the chill of her fear began to melt away as she was safe and secure in his tight embrace.

  “What the fuck happened here, Ben?” Jackson tried to ask quietly.

  “All I know is I heard them screaming and found this piece of shit stepping on my woman’s chest so hard she could barely breathe. While he was doing that he was also choking your woman so she sure as shit couldn’t breathe either. Asshole.”

  Jackson realized that Ben had left it at that for the moment as he didn’t want the women to have to rehash the story too many times as they were going to have to tell Nat and the sheriff as well.

  With Sheriff Sly Mulligan and Deputy Nat Winston’s arrival, Jackson, Ben, and Cole turned the women down toward the street to wait.

  “Your woman?” Lizzie took exception to Ben’s reference. “You haven’t yet even asked me out to dinner, dancing, or a drink, buster. Nothing! You don’t even talk to me in real sentences but now, all of a sudden, I am your woman? You are out of your mind if…”

  “If you all will please excuse me, I have to have a conversation with Ms. Carmichael here over her actions today. We will be back in just a minute,” Ben politely murmured. Her speech was cut off as she was unexpectedly hoisted over Ben’s very tall shoulder and moved out of Billie’s hearing range.

  “If you think you have any control what-so-ever as to whether or not I come to anyone’s defense, you have got another thing coming to you mister! I can dance naked down Main Street if I chose to do so. Let me down, you overbearing, uncommunicative, can’t have a relationship with a woman, too scared to commit lug!”

  “We will just see who belongs to whom and who is actually the scared one in just a moment, baby.” The loud, reverberating sound of a slap on her ass echoed as he walked her away.

  Jackson held Billie cradled up against his chest, gently rocking her back and forth comfortingly. He and Cole passed an amused look at the slapping sound and sudden quiet that befell the retreating couple.

  Jackson looked down at Billie. “Baby, are you okay?” he asked with concern.

  “I am now. Where did you come from? I thought you had left?”

  “I did, but Ben put out a 9-1-1 to us, so I turned right around. I am going to kill that waste of DNA.” He took a deep breath and slightly tightened his hold on her as he continued. “Baby, I am sorry I about what I am going to ask, but I need to know. Did he touch you?” Jackson found himself holding his jaw clenched as he waited for an answer.

  “No, Jackson. Thank goodness, no. He just scared me and roughed up Lizzie and myself. Is she okay with Ben? He looked very angry,” Billie said quietly.

  Both Jackson and Cole exchanged another amused look and a chuckle. “Yes, Billie. She is going to be just fine. Ben just is going to explain a few things to Lizzie, and she is going to comply with Ben’s suggestions most likely,” Cole answered her with an amused grin.

  “Comply? Lizzie? They don’t exactly go in the same sentence, Cole,
” Billie returned.

  Cole just smiled for an answer as he sauntered off to see what was taking Sheriff Mulligan and Nat so long to haul off the trash. Jackson took the privacy gratefully as he inspected the precious woman in his arms. Precious. He kept surprising himself with these revelations. She was precious to him. Len’s actions would have enraged him if it had been any woman but that it was his woman… He needed to calm down a bit more.

  Billie sighed as Jackson spread light kisses over her face, trying to coax her back into her usual fighting form. She turned her lips up to his and allowed him to cover her with his affection. Billie closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel the protective security that he was trying to provide. She nuzzled her face into his neck and just breathed in the scent of his cologne. She focused on that. Delicious, familiar, comforting and as always, arousing. Not quite what she needed at that particular moment but she figured that she should permit her body to respond in whatever manner it needed to while recovering from the shock of the situation.

  Jackson gently put her on her feet as Ben approached with Lizzie securely mashed up into his side. He wasn’t entirely sure whether Lizzie was in heaven or was going to kill his brother but figured things would be okay if her blush was any indicator. The ladies gave their accounts of the incident to Sheriff Mulligan and then protested as the men tried to separate them.

  “Ben, would you please stop being so high-handed! Billie and I were going to have a drink before we were waylaid by Mr. Asshole. We have things to discuss!” Lizzie lectured to her intended huge target of a man.

  Ben looked down patiently at his beautiful charge. In a very soft but firm voice that gave even Billie the chills, Ben replied, “I thought we had just come to an understanding, Lizzie. I don’t think you want me to repeat that particular discussion in front of everyone, do you?”

  To Billie’s surprise, Lizzie suddenly became completely docile. “Um, no Ben. You may take me home.” With that, Ben excused himself and his blushing companion.

  “What in the world do you think he said to her that could make her suddenly so, um, compliant?” Billie asked Jackson.

  Jackson looked almost indulgently down at Billie. His eyes were warm with his feelings for her. “He probably explained that she was to never again to put herself in danger and gave her a small spanking. That’s my guess,” he said almost offhandedly. “Now for you, Madame Doctor. Let’s get in my truck as we are going to have our own conversation about what the hell you were doing going out the back door, in minimal light and all alone at night. This may not be New York, but there are still a boat load of horny cowboys running around who find you to be pretty damn hot. I won’t have it either.”

  Billie just looked at Jackson. “You won’t have it? Just who the hell do you Powell men think you are? I am not a baby to be told what I can or cannot do! You don’t own me!” Billie was furious. She went from repulsion to terror to fear and now to anger all within an hour’s time. Her mind didn’t know if she was coming or going. No wonder she was overreacting to Jackson’s display of possessiveness.

  Jackson just continued to drive as though she hadn’t just had an outburst but did respond gently. He knew she was on overdrive. “We Powell Neanderthals, as you love to put it, know who we are, baby, and what matters. You matter. You matter a hell of a lot to me. I may not have put a ring on that finger, but more than anyone, I sure as hell own you, woman. Just as you own me. Everything is going to be all right. I am here and I am never going to allow a man like that to get to you ever again, so cooperate, please.”

  It was obvious to Jackson that Billie didn’t feel like arguing anymore. She obviously liked hearing him confess in words that she did matter to him. It felt good. The fight was all out of her now and she just closed her eyes in exhaustion. Jackson glanced over at her as she was attempting to fight off sleep. He threaded his fingers with hers and laid them on his thigh. Realizing she had just dozed off, he allowed himself to let his guard down and unmask his facial expressions. He was enraged. That fucker dared to accost his woman! Jackson gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles blanched. He tried not to squeeze the hand holding hers but apparently failed. She moaned in her sleep and turned sideways so he could see her beautiful features. She was sleeping so peacefully he willed himself to calm down so he didn’t disturb her further. He pulled up in front of his cabin and got out to pick her up and carry her in. She was so wiped out, she didn’t stir as he undressed her and laid her gently on his bed. He undressed as well and climbed in after her a moment later. Jackson gathered her slim body against his and closed his eyes while taking a deep, calming breath. Thanking god, Lizzie, and his brother, he gazed down at the woman who dropped into his life and was creating wonderful havoc with it. Tonight could have turned out so much worse if not for their quick thinking actions. Jackson just lay there for quite a while looking down at Billie, afraid to take his eyes off of her.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Life returned to a somewhat normal pace during the holidays and into January. The snowstorms provided many a romantic evening for Billie and Jackson to get lost with each other as the weather raged outside. Billie sat in her comfy chair watching another few inches fall while trying to make some sense of her current state of affairs. She came out here to find herself, to find real love for the first time, and to find out what living a dream really meant. She sipped her wine and tried to digest all that had happened. She had found the man of her dreams, someone who made her feel all lit up inside every time he got near her, someone who got her and wanted her, just the way she was. She paused in thought about that fact. Jackson liked her when she was stubborn, liked her when she was submissive, liked her when she was bossy, and basically took her any way she presented herself. He just liked her from the get-go. Billie sunk deeper into her chair with a real smile on her face at that realization. The man protected her, helped her, supported her, and gave her crazy, pleasurable hot monkey sex every chance he got. Sure there were hiccups since she had gotten here. His ex-wife was a constant nuisance, there were things that she had trouble getting used to like having to shop for her naughty lingerie online as there were no stores for that within a two-hour drive, and Len had gotten out on bail while awaiting his trial for assault. However, if she was going to be truthful, she knew that she had never been happier than she was now, nor would she ever be again. Her practice was full of patients that loved and appreciated her as she did them. She had a new family that amused her every Sunday while torturing most of its immediate members, and she got to ride Sheeza and Danny constantly as well as ride the finest man she had ever known. It was a good life.

  The scrumptious scent of the spicy seafood gumbo and fresh cornbread hung in the air. Jackson loved it the first time and every time she made it for him. The look he got while eating it was similar to his look of male satisfaction on his face as he watched her orgasm from his ministrations. She was getting damp already thinking of how happy he would be when he got home tonight. Home. They spent the vast majority of their time in her house. It felt more like a home than the one she had shared with Matthew. Here there was warmth, fun, and love because of Jackson.

  Oh god. That was the truth. It hit her like a sledgehammer. Holy cow. She was completely, undeniably, and utterly crazy in love with Jackson. She sat up so quickly, the big beasts masquerading as her dogs started and she almost spilled her wine. What the heck was she supposed to do with that?

  She didn’t have time to even ponder the thought. The silhouette of pure Wyoming cowboy rode up on Lachlan in the darkness. It was just like one of those male models posing for a cowboy calendar but for real. It was his beloved chiseled face with that huge, hulking muscled body beneath layers of warm clothes and parkas that made her rub her thighs together in anticipation of the privilege of being with this man. Already she felt the flush and cream that started to gush in her pussy from her thoughts. Her body knew who its master was long before her slow brain had ever figured it out. She watched him ride into t
he barn and decided to surprise him.

  Jackson was stomping his feet on Billie’s back porch when the tantalizing scent of his favorite meal teased his senses. Ah, what a woman, Jackson thought. After a long day rounding up stray cows, feedings, and fixing some of the equipment, there was nothing that could compare to knowing that Billie was waiting impatiently for him with a warm smile and a delicious dinner. He had never had that or the associated feelings it evoked in him with Gwen or any other woman. She had to be one of the most thoughtful, generous, and sensitive people that he had ever known. He appreciated her so much. There was never going to be another woman who could pleasure him like Billie did. Mind, body, and spirit. She took everything into account on everybody, but especially him and his needs. Today was a difficult day for him mentally. He was fighting a losing war with himself over the depth of his feelings for her. He was crazy about this woman but still a little gun-shy to tell her that he loved her. One moment, he was sure that he wanted to tell her and then the next, he was reliving his stupidity at rushing into things with Gwen. Part of him said, why rush? Let things just fall into place, but the other part of him, probably the smarter half, said to him that he should have her branded as his mentally, physically, and legally as soon as possible. Whoa! Did he just admit that he wanted to marry her? Shaking his head as though to clear the thought, he dismissed the idea quickly. Tonight wasn’t the time to ponder huge decisions like that. He laughed to himself. Yeah, maybe he should get up the balls to tell her that he was head over heels in love with her first. Nah, not yet.

  He shrugged out of his outer clothes and sauntered in where he knew the most amazing woman in the world would be waiting with a thoughtful meal made solely so he would be happy. She was the most perfect woman in the entire world. He stopped short in the doorway of the kitchen. The living room was lit with candles and firelight only. His love had a blanket on the floor in front of the fireplace with two dinner settings on the cocktail table. That wasn’t what gave him pause, though. Billie had laid herself out on her side on that blanket wearing nothing but an ice-blue silky chemise with cut out sections that barely covered her luscious, abundant breasts and her soft, smooth pussy.