Camilla looks back and forth from Frieda, who is standing between the fences, to Thor. “So what happens now?”
“Now we double check Frieda is in heat. She and Thor will let us know.”
“How do they do that?”
The two men don’t say anything—and I have a feeling Camilla is the reason behind that.
But while I would love to know what she said to them while Violet and I were in the paddock, I’ve got a more important job to do.
“Basically, if Thor flirts with her, she’s ready to breed.”
“That’s it?” Camilla says.
I nod. “That’s it.”
“Thank God it doesn’t work that way with humans. I’d hate to think that a man will only flirt with me when I’m primed to get knocked up. And what happens if you’re on the pill? Does that mean no men will be interested in you?”
I’m not sure if I’m supposed to answer or laugh.
Violet doesn’t have the same qualms. She laughs again. “That’s one way to look at it.”
I let Thor do his thing to confirm Frieda is ready.
“They’re not going to do it in there, are they?” Camilla waves at the chute. “ ’Cause I’m thinking that’s not very romantic.”
Wilson and Craig’s best behavior ends with that comment. Both burst out laughing.
“Horses don’t care about romance,” Craig says, still chuckling. “They’re just in it for a good time.”
With his back to us, Jake strokes Frieda’s neck and soothes the mare. “Au contraire.” He turns to us. “Horses are very romantic. Just not the kind of romantic that involves candlelight dinners, moonlit strolls, and roses.”
“In answer to your question,” I say to Camilla, “now we have to clean Freida’s and Thor’s genitals to avoid the risk of infection.”
The best way to get rid of two city men when you work on a ranch? Exactly what I just did.
Wilson and Craig choke out different excuses as to why they have to leave. I’ve never seen anyone move so fast.
The women laugh.
I’ll admit I don’t blame those guys one bit. Of all the tasks that go with breeding horses, this is the part neither my brothers nor I enjoy.
Humans have it so much easier when it comes to getting laid.
We just have to cover our dicks and we’re ready to go.
“What happens if Freida doesn’t want to do it with Thor?” Violet asks. Jake and I have just finished preparing the horses. “Maybe he doesn’t meet her standards of what she’s looking for in a stallion.”
I gasp a mock-horrified sound. “How could she not want to be with Thor? He’s the perfect specimen of a male horse.”
Thor whinnies.
“You see?” I say. “He agrees with me.”
Camilla glances at her phone.
Violet smirks. “Sorry, Thor. Hope I didn’t offend your male ego. And you’re right. He is the perfect male specimen.” Her heated eyes are locked on mine when she says it, and I have a feeling we’re no longer talking about my horse.
My cock twitches in full agreement.
“He accepts your apology.” I wink at her. Like Violet’s heated expression, Camilla also misses the wink.
“I’m curious too.” Camilla looks up from her phone. “What if she doesn’t wish to have sex with him?”
“First, you have to ensure she really is ready to breed. That might be why the mare is so reluctant. She isn’t in her ovulation window.”
“You mean horses are only interested in sex when they’re ovulating?” Camilla says. “Remind me not to come back as a horse in my next life. ’Cause right now, I’m thinking they have the fucked-up end of the deal.”
Violet laughs. “I’m with you there. Between that and the stallions only flirting with you when you’re primed to get pregnant, where’s the fun in being a horse?”
Jake looks between the two women, no doubt mentally rolling his eyes. “So come back as a stallion. They get to have plenty of sex during breeding season. Assuming they have access to more than a few mares.”
Camilla’s eyebrows shoot halfway up her forehead. “There’s a breeding season? You mean they can’t even have sex anytime they’re in the mood?”
“Depending on where you live,” I say, “it’s pretty much during the summer. Or at least that’s the prime time for them to conceive.”
Camilla’s expression is the one you have when someone you know has been given only five days to live. “You poor creature,” she says to Frieda.
The mare whinnies, possibly agreeing with her.
“I really don’t think she cares all that much,” I say. “It’s not like when humans go through a long dry spell without sex, then we crave it even more.”
Or maybe I’m just speaking for myself.
Because right now, I want nothing more than to finish getting Frieda knocked up, so I can get dirty with Violet.
And it has nothing to do with getting horny after witnessing the horses go at it. Like Jake and Noah, I’ve learned to compartmentalize all of this. None of us gets off on watching Thor perform for the mares.
“What happens if she’s ready to have sex but doesn’t wish to have sex with Thor?” Camilla asks, repeating Violet’s earlier question. “Does she have a choice?”
“Usually if they don’t want to mate, it’s because they’re nervous. They don’t know what to expect. It’s not like they’re gossiping while in the pasture, sharing secrets on how to please your stallion or fifty positions to increase sexual pleasure. There are no Cosmo magazines for horses.”
Violet cocks her head to the side as she studies Frieda. “So how do you calm them so they’re not so nervous?”
“Well, the goal is more to keep the mare from kicking the stallion and injuring him.” Jake taps on his phone and hands it to Camilla. “Some breeders use this device.”
She and Violet study the screen.
“It resembles something from Fifty Shades of Grey.” Camilla tilts the phone, examining it from a different angle. “I didn’t realize horses were into BDSM.”
Violet snorts a snicker, then smacks her hand against her mouth. Adorable crinkles form at the corner of her eyes as she fights back another laugh.
And all I can focus on is how I crave to peel the lucky hand away from her mouth and kiss her.
Kiss her until she’s moaning my name.
Kiss her until I’m all she can think about for the next few days.
14
An hour later, the deed is done.
When I say deed, I’m referring to Thor’s gallant go at becoming a father. Again.
All the other tasks to be completed are wrapped up. Frieda is in her stall. Thor is back in his pasture for now. And Jake is heading back to the house.
“And that, ladies, is how a foal is conceived.” Well, hopefully conceived. Like with humans, there’s no guarantee it was successful this time. “Any questions?”
Camilla decides she’s good on the Q&A. “Time for me return to the house and begin packing. Plus I need to respond to a few emails.” She gives me her patented all-business smile and walks off, her designer heels clicking against the path.
Finally alone with Violet, I lead her away from the house, to a spot where no one there can see us. My pace is fast and purposeful, with Violet matching it stride-for-stride. And with each step, the need to possess her becomes stronger.
But that’s not what this is about.
I miss the feel of her in my arms. I miss talking to her when it’s just the two of us alone.
And I miss kissing her.
As soon as we get behind the barn, I push her against the wood, gaze into her eyes for a heartbeat, then crash my lips against hers.
I can’t get enough of this woman. Can’t get enough of how I feel when I’m with her. She’s not a drug that burns addictive in the blood. She’s something much brighter, safer.
If you ignore the part how her brother is an ex-SEAL and the town sheriff.
Her
arms go around my neck; mine go around her waist. She tilts her head back, allowing me to deepen the kiss.
My cock stirs, its impatience to sink into Violet palpable.
I remind it that we’ll have plenty of time for that tonight—assuming she’s still game for it after witnessing Thor get it on a short while ago.
And I hope she is because after we’ve fucked, I’ll finally get her out of my system. My fantasies and I can move on.
I pull back slightly. Our rapid breaths collide and comfort and copulate.
“God, I want you so badly.” Violet’s tone is that of someone who hasn’t eaten in a while—or been eaten.
My favorite kind of tone.
“Glad to see none of that with Thor and Frieda turned you against ever having sex again.”
Raw pain flickers in her eyes, and she releases a soft huff. But the emotion is so fleeting, I can’t be sure if I read it correctly.
I trace the pad of my thumb along her lower lip. “What’s wrong?”
She turns her face up to mine and a smile spreads across it. “Nothing’s wrong.” She reaches up and tenderly touches her mouth to mine. “What time do you want to meet tonight?”
“Are you sure you still want to?”
“Hmm, let me think on that for a second.” She taps her index finger against her lips, her eyes a shade of I-want-you-to-do-me-now heated. “I haven’t had sex in forever, and a hot man who I happen to know is capable of giving me orgasms is asking if I’m sure I want to have sex tonight. Hmm. Tough decision.”
I chuckle, doing my best not to dwell on the part where she thinks I’m hot. Sure, I’ve had plenty of girls tell me that. But those girls weren’t Violet. “Let me make the decision a little easier for you.” I capture her mouth in another breath-stealing kiss.
A voice in my head points out that what’s happening between us is only temporary. Her life is in LA, and mine is here on the ranch. And then there’s the part where Austin will never approve of me being with his sister. Although if he had his way, Violet would never be with another man again. Period.
Which is fine with me. If I can’t be with her, then no other man should be allowed to touch her.
Fair is fair.
And no—even if I can touch her, no other man gets that honor.
Maybe I should talk to Austin about putting her in a nunnery.
Problem solved.
“I’ll see you tonight,” Violet whispers and steps back, ending the kiss sooner than I would like.
She returns to the house, and I take a detour to my workshop. Once there, I check my wood supply to ensure I have enough for a rocking horse. The rocking horse that Camilla plans to videotape when I give it to a sick kid…if I make it to the next round.
My gut twists into a not-so-neat bow and I let out a Christ-this-is-ridiculous grunt. I don’t create the horses for publicity. I give them to cancer patients because I love seeing the kids smile, especially when the cancer hasn’t given them anything to smile about.
Ignoring my gut, I calculate how much wood I’ll need.
Wilson and Craig are watching TV when I eventually slip away from the house. Camilla is in her room. My brothers are off doing their own things.
I follow the dirt path, through the trees, and eventually end up at the grassy river bank where I’m meeting Violet. The sun is shining on the private alcove from low in the sky.
The tire swing still dangles over the water where it’s been since I was a kid. Many a happy summer was spent in this spot when my brothers, our friends, and I were growing up.
The crisp snap of a stepped-on stick disrupts the quiet air. I turn and catch sight of Violet entering the clearing. She’s no longer wearing the jeans she had on earlier.
What she has on gets me hard in record time.
The hem of her denim shorts barely brushes the tops of her thighs. The edges are frayed, carefree. My gaze travels from her cowboy boots, up her long, toned legs. After watching her chase after her son, it comes as no surprise that she still has runner’s legs.
And it also comes as no surprise that my cock imagines said legs wrapped around my hips as I plunge inside her.
This time I don’t tell my cock to cut it out. I’m too distracted.
It chalks this up as a score in its favor.
My gaze continues up and lands on my second favorite feature that is all Violet. No, I’m not referring to her tits, although I’ll be the first to admit they are spectacular.
I’m referring to her face—her sweet, laughing face. Her smiles are enough to cause even the most hardened man to soften. And her impish brown eyes are always rich with compassion.
I stride toward her. “You made it.”
She grins at me, turning my knees a little weak. “As if staying away was ever an option.”
She steps farther into the clearing and her gaze drops to the water behind me. “What’s the temperature like?”
“No idea. I haven’t been in it yet.” I set the folded towels on the ground.
Two more strides and I’m standing in front of her. But instead of kissing her like I had first planned, I scoop her up in my arms.
She squeals a laugh, and her arms go around my neck.
I chuckle. “I guess there’s one way to find out.”
She narrows her eyes at me, but it’s far from convincing. “Don’t you dare, TJ Christopher Daniels.” Her lips form an adorable pout.
I take a step toward the slow-moving river. My mouth curls up to one side. “And what will happen if I do dare?”
“No blowjobs for you.”
“Will I still get to go down on you?” Because right now, that’s exactly what I want to do.
Plus, I’m not looking for blowjobs tonight. I’m one hundred percent in favor of being inside her.
Not that I have anything against them. I’m their number one fan, thank you very much. But not tonight.
Tonight is about my plan to move past my thing for Austin’s sister.
She slowly runs the tip of her tongue along her lower lip as she considers my question. “As much as it pains me to say it, I must put my foot down. So no orgasms for either of us if you dunk me in the water.”
She flashes me an I-win smirk.
Like most men, I enjoy winning. I wouldn’t have gotten as far as I did in my rodeo career if not for my competitive nature. But there’s a time when you have to walk away and let the other person win.
And when orgasms are at stake, that’s definitely the right time.
I lower Violet to her feet.
Then I unzip my jeans and remove them. I’m not naked. Not even close. I still have on my T-shirt and swim trunks.
“Well, if you’re not going in,” I say, “I’ll have to be the one who takes the first plunge.”
She laughs. “You’re crazy. You know that?”
Before I can respond, she whips her T-shirt over her head, revealing her black bikini top.
And everything I was just thinking about vanishes in a puff of smoke. Poof!
She unbuttons the top of her shorts and pulls the zipper down, tooth by slow tooth. I inwardly groan at what the action is doing to me. She then shimmies the denim down her legs and nudges them aside with her foot to join her T-shirt.
“Love your bikini,” I say. “But I seem to remember the last time you wore one on the tire swing, the top came off.”
And I can easily say that’s up there on my list of favorite teenage memories.
Just don’t mention it to Austin.
The poor guy was horrified when it happened and told every boy there that if he caught them looking at her, he would rip out their eyes.
Not wishing to go blind, everyone shut their eyes.
But despite his threat, there’s a chance—a very strong chance—I might have peeked.
“Then I guess I’ll have to make sure I don’t lose this top.” She reaches behind her and a second later, I understand why. The two black triangles release the world’s most goddamn perfect breasts
.
Violet lifts the scraps of fabric over her head.
With her arms up, her breasts are like peace offerings, waiting for me to delight in their taut nipples.
I stalk toward her in two easy strides and fill my large palms with her pale globes. She inhales a sharp soft breath but doesn’t say anything. She just looks at me with vulnerability and challenge in her eyes.
“Let me warm them up for you.” My voice is heavy with need. The need to worship her. The need to keep her safe. The need for her to give me permission to do all of that.
She gives a slight nod, her lips parted, her breaths coming in as wispy gasps. Unable to wait any longer, I lower my head to hers and tug her plump lower lip between my teeth.
I shift my hands and pinch her nipples. That is met with a moan…which I swallow as my mouth drops to hers.
Always the impatient one, my cock hardens in my swim trunks. I release her breasts and slide my hands down her sides until they rest on her ass cheeks. I squeeze them lightly and pull her against me, pressing my near-painful cock against her stomach.
Thank the Almighty Christ that we’re not horses. Because if I have to wait until she’s ovulating to fuck her, I’ll die of the worst case of blue balls known to man.
And knowing Noah’s sick sense of humor, he’ll have that engraved on my tombstone.
My plans to swim first quickly take a nose dive.
And apparently I’m not the only one to feel that way. Violet cups my package, then strokes her palm along my length, clearly with plans to kill me.
Two can play at that game…
I slip a hand between her legs and run two fingers against her pussy. “Christ, you’re so goddam hot and wet for me, Vi. Do you still want to do this or jump in the river?”
Please pick fucking. Please pick fucking. Please pick fucking…
“I think I’ll go with option A,” she says on a breath. “I need you to bend me over and fuck me. Fuck me hard, TJ. That’s all I want. For you to fuck me and show me that I matter.”
I’d be lying if I say I didn’t almost come in my swim trunks right there.
Her hands move to my waistband, and she releases my cock. It springs free, happy to finally see some action that doesn’t just involve my hand. Happy to finally find out if reality lives up to fantasy.
Cowboy Most Wanted Page 11
