by Megan McCoy
Blaze Lyon walked along the edge of bluff around the lake. It felt odd not to have to get up early in the morning for chores, but he was officially ‘on a break.’ He could stay out all night if he wanted and someone else would get up early and take care of the horses. He felt badly about it and a little guilty. He hadn’t lied to his dad since he was a brat in high school. He had told his dad that there was a kid in trouble. There wasn’t. He still couldn’t figure out why that lie came out of his mouth. But it had and he was stuck with it for now. He’d come clean later, about so many things and apologize, like a man.
He was a man, now despite what people thought. Growing up in a small town, people talked. People talked about each other and he knew they especially talked about his family. His granddad, Jeb, along with his Grandma Rose, had built this place from literally nothing and brought hundreds of jobs, and thousands of tourists to the town, bringing it back from the beginnings of being a ghost town. He knew they were important people in the area.
People revered Jeb, and when he got married a few summers back, they loved it. It had been gossip fodder for months. Their patron saint of all things money, chasing a younger city girl around the countryside and acting like a besotted teenager. Then after about a six-month courtship, they’d gotten married out by the lake and threw the biggest barbeque the town had ever attended. He barely remembered his grandma, and thought Candy was great. She was great at her general manager job, and she was wonderful for his grandpa who seemed at least ten years younger. Sometimes he seemed younger than his dad, running around after Candy like stallion in heat. The town ate it up.
His dad, Matt, had grown up as the perfect poster child, and never caused a minute’s trouble or was a cause for gossip. He married young, and Blaze knew he arrived much earlier than the nine-month waiting period, but really that seemed a non-issue. Then his mom left. He’d only been six at the time, but he could still remember kicking and screaming having to leave this ranch. He endured six years away, living in the big city of St. Louis, going to a school with more kids in his grade than in this entire town. He loved his mom, but he hated every second of being gone, and just lived for his holidays and summers here.
Finally, the summer he turned twelve, his favorite mare was ready to foal, and there was no way he was leaving her. He just wanted to be here. It was all he ever wanted. Luckily for him, his mom had seen the light, and let him stay on the ranch. Looking back, he figured it was because she was tired of dealing with his antics all alone and thought his dad needed a turn at dealing with him.
He hadn’t realized at the time what a jerk he acted like. Cutting classes, charging around the countryside in a ‘borrowed’ truck with his buddies, moving hay bales to the middle of the road before the school bus came through so they had to stop and move them. Swiping beer from whoever’s parents foolishly left it out, then drinking and driving down country roads too fast and too drunk. Blaze still couldn’t believe none of them had died.
Then after high school, most of his buddies went off to either college or the service, and he and the handful that were still at home went full time on their family farm. Some of them went part or full-time on his family ranch. Including Gabe.
Gabriel, who’d been his best friend since high school. Gabe, who was strong, very good looking, and by putting himself through college, now had a teaching degree and a brand new job at the local high school.
Blaze looked out over the lake, picked a trail he knew would take him the long way around the lake and looked over his life. He loved his life. Loved this place, and wondered just how things were going to change once his family found out he and Gabe were getting married.
He started walking.
* * *
Matt stared at the ceiling, wondering where his life was going. What had happened out there? He was all set to have his way with the hot little widow and suddenly, he just couldn’t. He stroked his hard throbbing shaft and knew he wanted to do it. He just… couldn’t… for some unknown reason he needed to fathom out. It had something to do with her brother. Or the way she’d clung to him when her brother showed up and he’d felt her heart slamming against her chest. He felt something he hadn’t felt for a long time.
He’d only known her a few days. Realizing she was a human being, a mother and sister, and not just another horny woman, had given him pause. He wasn’t sure why. Hell, he’d bedded a couple of married women in the past. Of course, they’d claimed to be separated, but he never bothered to see if that was true or not. His job was just to relieve immediate stress and see that they had a good time. Not anything long term. What was it about this little brunette with the blue-gray eyes that made him want to protect her and want, simply, more?
He’d thought her macho man brother was going to do something, to him or her, when they docked. There was no way he was letting him do anything to cause her distress. He’d shown her a good time and he wanted to show her more of a good time.
Leaving her alone was probably the best bet. Hell, she had a kid. He had a kid, and didn’t want another one. Especially not a pouting pre-teen. Last thing he wanted was to live through the teenage years again, especially with another man’s son.
Smacking himself upside the head, he then rubbed the sore spot. No. Just no. He was only frustrated and horny. That was it. There was nothing else.
Then why was he trying to finagle another chance meet with her? Then he smiled slowly. He didn’t need to finagle. He could just ask. Or tell her. There was something in her eyes, in her demeanor, that made him realize she’d be happier with him just telling her. Commanding. Demanding. Matt smiled in relief, just realizing why he was feeling odd feelings for and about her. She was one of his favorite kind of women. The kind who liked to be dominated. His spanking hand itched and he used it to stroke his shaft more. Yeah. Now he knew. It wasn’t that he was feeling anything more than lusting after her. It was that he knew she’d be more compliant and wanting if he denied her a little. That was all. “Don’t you worry, little Liz,” he said aloud, beginning to pump his shaft harder. “I won’t leave you denied long.”
It was going to be a great two weeks ahead.
* * *
Holly stretched and smiled over at her sleeping husband. She’d worn him out good last night. Or he’d worn her out, either way, they were both happy and that was all that mattered. Her bottom still felt sore and hot and she had a very pleasant ache between her thighs. Her breasts felt swollen from his touches and overall, she just loved vacation.
Settling back, she thought about Liz and the hot cowboy she’d been out with. Too bad they’d messed up her date, but Eric had gone all alpha brother on her and she couldn’t hold him back. Normally, she enjoyed the fact she couldn’t hold him back, but this time it kind of irritated her. Liz was a grown woman, and a mother and was on vacation! If she wanted to have a one night stand with muscles and leather, why not? Everyone deserved some fun in their lives, even Eric’s baby sister.
In fact, she deserved it more than most. Eric was just being his old bossy boots self. What he needed to learn was only certain people liked that. She liked it, obviously, but shoot, he’d scared the heck out of Meredith a while back when she accidently heard him spanking her. She’d thought he was an abuser and Holly knew Meredith still didn’t really ‘get’ the consensual part of what they had.
When Eric came to the realization that someone thought he abused her, it had taken a bad toll on their marriage. She hadn’t been sure they’d get past it, and it had taken them a long time to get back on track after that, but they’d finally managed. He was back to his old bossy boots self, and she felt happy again after a miserable few months.
Meredith, while still a bit wary around Eric, seemed to understand he wasn’t going to really hurt her. Hurt either one of them, for that matter, and what Eric did to her was totally consensual.
Most of the time, anyway, she grinned. When it wasn’t, she still liked it. The butt plug she hadn’t been wild about at all, and thank goo
dness he’d not asked about it again.
Sometimes she didn’t like the during, especially when he punished her, but she loved the nerves before and the hot, hot love making after. She also knew if he didn’t assert his dominance over her regularly, she simply wasn’t happy. Holly liked to be happy.
But that was their relationship, honed over the years. He hadn’t lived with Liz since he was 18 and she was 12. He had no business weighing in on Liz’s life, or even worse, trying to stop one from happening. She was going to have to sit him down this morning and explain that fact to him in small words his male brain would understand. She could only hope he’d be in a receptive mood. Well, his favorite breakfast after his favorite way to wake up might put him in a decent mood.
Peering under the covers, she noticed no morning wood yet, and wiggled herself down further. He slept naked and she appreciated that. It made helping herself to his charms that much easier. Rolling over on her side, she slid his softness in her mouth, knowing it would be no time at all before he was hard and filling her mouth completely. It might take a little while to please him totally, because it had only been a few hours since he’s last been satisfied, but hey, what else was she doing? It was vacation, after all.
A few minutes later she felt his hot earthy seed spewing into the back of her mouth, down her throat and she swallowed convulsively. Nothing better.
“Well, good morning to you, my sweet thing,” Eric finally opened his eyes and looked at her. “Happy vacation to me.”
“Happy vacation to us,” she smiled happily back. “What we going to do today?” She wiggled, hoping she was something he wanted to do today.
“I’m sending you three girls off to the big city for a spa day,” he said. “Then Ethan, and I are taking Ben and going on a day long hike.”
“That’s going to thrill him no end,” she said, dryly.
“It’ll be good for him,” Eric said firmly. “He needs a day away from electronics.”
“And I need a day to get all gorgeous for my handsome hunk of a man. You are so good to me!” Holly said. “Do Meredith and Liz know yet?”
“I haven’t talked to Liz again,” Eric confessed. “Not sure I should. I was kind of an ass to her last night.”
“It’s true,” she agreed. “You were. But that’s okay, you were playing the big brother card. It wasn’t a good place to play it, but what’s done is done.”
“I just want to take care of my family,” he said, frustrated. “That isn’t a bad thing.”
“It isn’t,” she said, carefully. Male egos were so fragile. “But you sometimes forget she’s a grown woman. A widow, and she has a kid, and two jobs, and she needs a little grown up time, too.”
Eric put his hands over his ears. “Spa day with the girls is all the grown up time I want to hear about.”
Holly looked at him. She’d probably pushed him about as far as she could this morning. Or wanted to, anyway. She did not want to go to the spa squirming on a sore red bottom and she knew he’d have no qualms at all about popping her over his knee at any moment. It wasn’t fair that he sometimes took his frustrations out on her bottom, but there you go. It was what she signed up for and she really wouldn’t have it any other way. Most of the time. While she knew she could state her case and talk to him about anything, she also knew there was a limit. Sometimes limits were fun and sometimes they were maddening.
Fine, if she couldn’t push Eric anymore, she would talk to Liz while they had their feet soaking in a tub of swirling, bubbling, water. Pedicure time!
“Okay, my love, am I driving us to the spa or what do you have in mind?” She smiled at him as if she didn’t have a care in the world.
“Yeah, I have the GPS already set and all you have to do is gather the girls and head out after breakfast,” he looked at her gently. “You’ll be back in a little over 24 hours, but I’ll miss you.”
“Of course you will,” she began to tease, then threw herself in his arms. “I’ll miss you too. You will have to make all this missing up to me tomorrow night, okay?”
“Do you want a spanking to help you to remember how to behave while you’re gone?” He tilted her chin up to look in his eyes.
“You never have to worry about me,” she whispered. “I know who I’m coming home to.”
“I know you do,” he replied. “That wasn’t quite what I was asking though.”
Holly contemplated, and shook her head. “I don’t want a red butt for my massage. If that’s okay?”
Eric laughed and the mood lightened. “Yes, Ma’am, that is just fine. But I’ll be handling that red butt thing when you get home.”
“Promises, promises,” she said, dancing away from him. “Need to pack and then we will head down to eat. I can’t wait to tell Liz and Meredith!”
Eric smiled as her lithe figure disappeared into the bathroom to pack her girl things up. He loved to see her that happy. It was all he wanted for Liz. Meredith too, for that matter. He knew that their relationship baffled many people. He had zero qualms about telling Holly how to behave, or putting his happy little wife over his knee and paddling her butt till she was sobbing hysterically, and her bottom turned bright red. In fact, he felt it was his duty, as her protector and husband. They both knew if it didn’t happen semi often, things felt off in their life, and she got more and more unhappy, restless, fidgety, and tense. For some reason, a good spanking made her happy, relaxed and confident in his love. He wasn’t going to worry too much about why. He sure didn’t mind giving her what she needed, after all.
He’d gotten more and more into the idea of it as the years went on, and he probably got as tense as she did if they went without a ‘session’ as she called it. He didn’t know if she was a masochist or what her psychological deal was, and really didn’t care. This worked for them, and that was all that mattered. He wanted Liz to find something that worked for her, too.
Would it be Matt? He doubted it. Matt seemed like a girl in every port—or on every horse—kind of guy. However, he knew she was a grown up and ought to be able to pick her own dates and make her own way in the world. Maybe she just simply needed a different kind of ‘session’ on vacation, like Holly had pointed out. Grownups had needs, after all.
It was hard to be a big brother and watch her struggle though. Wishing it was a few hundred years ago, when he could have just picked her out a husband, and had her safely married off, he shook his head. Wasn’t that basically what he was trying to do now? She could very well be just fine without a man. Some people were, after all, and who knew how a new man would treat Ben? Teenagers were challenging when they were your own, much less taking one on to raise.
He needed to get his head on straight and just let Liz take care of Liz, unless he was informed she needed him. Then he’d be there, all charging in on his white horse, to throw money at the problem or to intimidate someone who needed it. Till then, he’d try and back off some. Grinning, he realized he thought he’d try, but didn’t state, even in his mind, would do. Oh well. He was just a man. He could only do what he could. No one expected him to be perfect, after all. Even Holly, who apparently thought he was close to it, had to sit him down and read him the riot act once in a while.
She came out of the bathroom, carrying a bag that looked like it held everything she owned in it.
“You’re only going to be gone one night,” he reminded her.
Wrinkling her nose and sticking out her tongue at him, she didn’t bother to reply. She’d take what she wanted, he surmised. None of his business anyway. All he did was set it up for them and throw his credit card at it.
“You about ready to go eat?” He asked. “I’m starving. Don’t want to miss those cinnamon rolls Mariah makes.”
“You going to sneak down and get her recipe while I’m gone?” Holly teased. “Just don’t kiss it out of her!”
“Yes, Ma’am, I promise. I won’t!” Eric said sincerely.
“Good, let’s go eat so I can get the girls and leave!”
* * *
Two hours later, he stood in the drive, waving goodbye to the three women as they drove off on their adventure. Looking at the time on his phone, he knew even with stops that females had to do, they would be there late morning. It was about a four-hour drive. He hoped they had a great time. Holly had strict orders to call him from the hotel as soon as they check in. He’d arranged an early check in time for them, as well as an afternoon of being spoiled. Well, Candy Lyon had helped set that, for which he’d been grateful. Who knew what women liked to do at a spa setting? Apparently Candy did.
It all seemed to include being touched by other people. Hair, massages, mani-pedi’s. Was there anything that sounded more ridiculous than a mani-pedi? He didn’t think so, and even his credit card winced when it found out what it cost for the three of them. Then a late dinner in the hotel dining room so they wouldn’t be tempted to drive after the two bottles of wine Ethan had picked out for their dinner. In the morning, there would be room service breakfast and a tour of a local art museum featuring one of Holly’s favorite artists. After that, they’d head home. He imagined they’d squeeze some shopping in there somewhere too.
It would be a jammed packed day for them and he hoped it made up a little to Liz for him being a jerk.
* * *
Six hours later he, Ethan and Ben were all on their phones trying to find the women.
Chapter Seven
“Liz, you okay?” Holly glanced in the back seat via her rear view mirror. Meredith twisted in her seat, next to her, trying to see.
“Yeah. I guess. Why?” Liz huddled in the back seat with her steaming cup of coffee. She wasn’t fine. She was hurt and disappointed, pissed off and horny. She didn’t want to go to a fully paid spa day, as childish and ungrateful as that sounded, even with free babysitting thrown in. She wanted to be back at the ranch, sniffing around Matt and trying to figure out why he didn’t make love to her last night.
Shaking her head, Liz knew it sounded pathetic and was nothing she could, or would, ever say out loud. She hadn’t had a successful relationship since Troy died, and she’d met him as a teenager. That was a lot of first dates and going nowhere under her bridge, in the past few years. This probably was too, and she didn’t know why she had suddenly started to think differently. That was silly. She just needed laid.
