The Promise

by River Laurent

  His touch leaves my hip and by the time I open my eyes, he is already walking out of the barn, shoulders stiff and rising rapidly.

  “I’ll see you at the house.” His voice is calm and even, but his body mechanics are the complete opposite. I can’t figure out which is more telling.

  His muscles ripple beneath his shirt as he walks away, and I can’t peel my eyes off him. He is perfect and I hate that nothing can come out of our relationship. If I weren’t Tamara, this is exactly the man I would choose for myself.

  Chapter 21

  Lars

  The air is still and the moon is full. Through the open curtains, blue light floods the room. I lie on my bed and find it impossible to sleep. My phone vibrates on the nightstand. I pick it up and look at the screen.

  “Where are you?” my brother asks.

  “Back at the spread.”

  “Oh yeah. How’s Honeywell’s kid doing?”

  He catches me off guard so I blurt honestly, “I don’t know.”

  He gives a short burst of laughter. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “I mean it’s like dealing with Jekyll and Hyde. One moment she’s like this she-devil complete with a rattle in her tail, and the next she’s this awesome, intelligent, caring person.”

  “That’s weird.”

  “I know,” I say with feeling. “Half the time I want to tan her hide and the other times…”

  “You didn’t finish your sentence, bro,” my brother mocks.

  The rest of the sentence is I want to fucking rip her clothes off and bury my dick to the hilt inside her. “Why did you call?” I growl.

  “Just checking up on my little brother, but now that I’ve scented blood…”

  “You haven’t scented blood. Nothing is going on.”

  “Yet.”

  My brother is a pain in my ass. “Look, I’ve had a long day and if you’ve nothing to tell me, I’m going back to sleep.”

  “Whoa, she’s really got you tied up in knots, hasn’t she?”

  “Back off, Matt. Nothing is going on and nothing will.”

  “I was messing with you before, but now that I see how raw you are, I should warn you, little brother. Tamara’s more she-devil complete with rattlesnake than the awesome individual she puts on to get what she wants. Even if she was that sweet, caring person, she lives in LA. There’s nothing in it for you. Fuck her if you absolutely must, then put her out of your head. For good. And whatever you do, don’t let her sense your weakness or she’ll sink her talons into you.”

  I massage my left temple and sigh heavily.

  “I’m serious, Lars. Joking aside, she’s trouble. Big trouble. I didn’t want to put you off keeping her at the ranch before because it never even crossed my mind that you’d fall for such a manipulative little brat, but now that you are showing a real lack of character judgement, I have to tell you that I have it first hand: The bitch will fuck anything with a dick.”

  I close my eyes and grit my teeth. I hate my brother talking about her like that. “Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it,” I say and quickly end the call.

  My brother is right. Of course, he’s right. How could I be attracted to her? It makes no sense at all, but it’s impossible for me to explain to my brother or anyone else what Tamara does to my insides. I spring out of bed and pace the floor of my bedroom. My heart is banging as if it’s about to fucking explode, and my damned dick is rock hard

  I’m aching for her.

  My mind races with all kinds of thoughts. Not just any thoughts, but the kind of filthy fantasies I haven't entertained since I was a horny teenager. I feel as restless as a wolf at full moon. It feels as if something is calling to me and the call is irresistible.

  I pinch the bridge of my nose. I still smell the scent of her hair in my nostrils. Fresh. My ears have memorized the sound of her voice, and I don’t even have to close my eyes to see that sweet body that just begs to be dominated. I think of her long shapely legs wrapped around my waist. My cock in her stubborn mouth. Oh, that mouth.

  I am suddenly rock hard. Again.

  I turn on my heel and walk out of the bedroom. The landing is in darkness. I walk down it to the bedroom at the end, open the door, walk through the space, and stand at the window. The moonlight shines soft blue over the open landscape. The mountain range rises like a hulking dark beast against the velvet sky full of stars.

  But my eyes don’t linger on its beauty. They jerk down to her patio, to the circle of light made by the small candle burning on the little table. My gaze falls on the gleam of her skin. Most of her is huddled inside a blanket, but from here I can see the curve of her cheek and her fingers. When she first arrived, she had long fake nails. Every single one is broken now.

  We are two people awake under the same sky.

  How can a woman who sits alone looking at stars be all bad? Could it be that all those rumors and ugly stories are all lies and exaggeration? She was caught drinking and driving. That’s no lie. Maybe she has changed. Maybe living here has changed her.

  A sigh goes through me. A longing I’ve never known gnaws deep inside me. Tamara Honeywell is poison, but she is proving to be such a sweet poison that I’m finding impossible to resist. I know…

  It’s crazy.

  It’s stupid.

  It’s madness.

  It’s wrong.

  Yet, she’s so fucking delectable I want to bite that curvy ass. I want to squeeze those fleshy buttocks in my hands while I…What the fuck is wrong with me. She’s spoiled, selfish, annoying, argumentative, stubborn…

  Fucking hell, I can’t get her out of my mind.

  I clench my hands to stop myself from going to her. A dark laugh huffs up my throat. It won’t be tonight, Lars. It’ll be never if you know what’s good for you. Stay away from her. The woman is like quicksand. The harder I try the more stuck I become, and the more my body craves hers, but here’s the real kicker. My brother will think I’m nuts if I tell him, but I don’t just want to have her body. I want to possess her and protect her and keep her.

  When I heard that ass James had horn-dogged on her, I felt boiling fury slam into my brain. I wanted to race after him and rip his throat out. Then watch him bleed out. That’s how furious I was. The predatory instinct and aggression in me is something I never suspected I’d have. It scares the ever-living shit out of me. Even now. Just thinking of him trying it on with her.

  A soft snarl rattles out of my throat.

  I turn away from the window and go back to my room to lie on my bed, awake, alone, and tormented with images of her for hours. In the end, I give up. Fuck it. What the hell, I’m not going to sleep with a raging hard on.

  I fist my hand around my cock and jerk off while thinking of Tamara Honeywell’s sweet pussy. I bet she shaves it. I bet it’s pink and wet. I close my eyes and visualize her naked. Not one stitch on that beautiful body.

  She spreads her legs. Jesus, she’s not wearing any underwear. Her pussy is so pretty I want to eat it.

  “Let me suck you,” she begs, and opens that plump mouth of hers.

  Pre-cum drips from my engorged cock.

  I feed my cock to her hot, wet mouth. She takes it greedily and moans with the taste. She takes me into her throat. Her mouth is hot and soft and it feels awesome.

  I stroke the entire length of my shaft faster and faster.

  “Are you going to fuck my tight pussy?” she mewls.

  “Oh, yes, cupcake, I sure am.”

  I pull out of her mouth and lie her face down on the bed. She lifts her ass up into the air and offers her pussy to me. It’s all pink and wet and begging for it. I plunge my bare cock into all that pinkness.

  “Harder, Lars. Harder,” she begs.

  “Oh! fuck, Tamara,” I groan as my legs stiffen.

  The build-up feels like floodwater bursting through a dam. Nothing can contain it. Nothing. I explode, shooting my hot load like a fountain into the air. It covers my hands in a sticky mess. Jesus, it�
��s been so long since I've come like that.

  My heart is hammering away and my cock is still hard for her. I just lie there and know... I’m in so much trouble.

  Chapter 22

  Cass

  As I walk toward the barn I realize that today marks my ninth day on the ranch. Despite all the hard work and slanging matches with Lars, I’ve loved it. I’ve also started to meet a few of the other employees, and thankfully, not one has heard of Tamara Honeywell. It’s been a nice change.

  Deep in thought, I nearly jump out of my skin when I hear a man’s voice call, “Howdy.”

  Expecting to be alone in the barn, I take a startled step back. “You scared the bejesus out of me,” I say, still clutching my chest.

  A sandy-haired, slim man about my age grins widely. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to.”

  “Are you the new groom?” I ask uncertainly. I was expecting Lars to hire a female farmhand after our realization that Thunder doesn’t do well with men.

  He looks sheepish. “Not really. I’m just supposed to hang around and help you if you need it. Lars says you’ll mostly be doing your own thing.”

  I smile at the eagerness he exudes. “All right, I’ll work on doing my own thing, then.” Taking a step away from him, I head in the direction of Thunder’s stall.

  To my amusement, he follows me like a lamb.

  “So, is it true that you’re famous?” he asks after a moment. His voice is awed and it irritates me.

  I’m not famous. I’m just a poor girl from Chicago trying to pay off a nasty loan shark. I put the halter on Thunder and start leading him out. “Yeah, I’m basically a godess in Los Angeles,” I say dryly. The phrase is egotistical and I hate hearing it come from my lips.

  His brow furrows and I can tell that I have put him off me.

  It saddens me a little that I have to behave in such a way, but those are the terms of my job.

  “I really don’t care if you're famous,” he says.

  “Then why’d you bring it up?” I ask as I grab hold of Thunder’s lead rope and tie him to a post in the grooming bay the way I’d seen the other farmhands do. I notice that Thunder isn’t going crazy around him. He only looks slightly weary.

  “I was just curious,” he says, raising his hands defensively.

  I grab the soft bristle brush and begin running it through Thunder’s mane. Though I’ve only ever done it twice before, I’ve watched how Thunder reacts to each of the strokes and do only the ones he enjoys.

  “You’re excellent at that,” he says from so close behind me that I jump.

  I whirl around. “What is your problem, buddy?” I ask irritably. I don’t need another James.

  He takes a few steps back and looks at me mournfully. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean nothing,” he mumbles.

  “Just keep your distance, please. You’re going to spook the horse.” Although, the truth is, Thunder seems all right with him. It’s me who’s finding his good-natured invasion into my personal space annoying.

  “All right. I’ll just wait right here then,” he agrees amiably.

  I sigh. “Look. You can tell Lars I really don’t need a babysitter. I’ve been working with these horses on my own every day for the last nine days, and I haven’t done anything stupid or messed up yet.”

  He tips his hat in that charming way cowboys do. “Pardon, ma’am, but with all due respect, I’m being paid to keep an eye on you, so I need to stay by your side. I really hope you understand.”

  “What do you mean you’re being paid to keep an eye on me?” I demand, my hands on my hips.

  I must look fierce because he takes an involuntary step back. “I am technically a farmhand. I repair fences and work with the chickens. I’m good with chickens, but I’m being paid extra to watch you.”

  “What do you mean by ‘watch’?”

  “I’m not allowed to leave your side,” he admits uncomfortably.

  “What?”

  His eyes widen. “I’m just doing my job.”

  “Did Lars ask you to spy on me?” I ask.

  He squirms. “No, ma’am. I’m just supposed to keep you safe.”

  “If he’s trying to shirk his own duties by hiring you…”

  His eyes widen with alarm. “No, ma’am. He’s trying his hardest to be with you, but it’s tough for him to find time in his schedule.”

  “Yeah, because feeding and milking cows take so long,” I say sardonically.

  His eyes widen. “He does far more than that, ma’am.”

  It is obvious where his loyalty lies.

  “I haven’t had one chance to ride my horse yet, so he really needs to get his ass out here.”

  He clears his throat. “I wish there was something I could do for you, ma’am, but my job is to make sure you don’t do nothing…er…” he scratches his cheek, “irregular.”

  I groan with frustration and turn back to Thunder, my brush strokes ferocious. On the second stroke, I stop and take a deep breath. This is not me at all. I’m never horrible toward perfect strangers. Yes, I’m furious with Lars, but I shouldn’t take it out on this poor kid who’s just trying to do his job, or this beautiful horse that I love. I kiss Thunder’s neck and say a silent apology, then turn around with a smile on my face. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. Let’s start again. I didn’t get your name.”

  “I’m Butch,” he says, looking relieved and extending a hand toward me.

  “Is that a common name in these parts?” I ask, taking his hand. It’s rough with calluses, but his shake is firm and he doesn’t hold my hand longer than necessary. I decide I like him. We just got off on the wrong foot. “I’ve never met anyone—other than a German Shephard—named Butch.” I grin to show that I’m not being malicious.

  He grins back. “It’s way more common than Tamara,” he says.

  “Oh yeah?” I wonder how common the name Cass is around here.

  “I think your accent’s real neat,” he says bashfully.

  “Thank you, but your accent is very different. You’re not from around here either, are you?” Except for Lars and Emma Jean, everyone else I’ve met in Montana speaks with a slight accent that almost sounds like a southern drawl, but less potent. It suddenly occurs to me that maybe Lars is not from Montana either.

  “You betcha I’m not from these parts. I’ve got itchy feet. They’ve taken me all over the country. I’ve been in Georgia, Texas, Utah, Kansas, Colorado, Iowa, Wyoming, and North Dakota. I was going to work here for six months then move on, but I kinda like it here and I guess I’ll stay on for a bit.”

  “Me too. I kinda like it here too,” I agree with a big smile in his direction. I feel like I have to make up for my previous behavior, more so now that I know that we’re in a similar situation. He’s not acting like a celebrity to pay off loan sharks, but like me, he’s an outsider.

  He smiles back.

  “You know,” I begin, “we should hang out sometime. Maybe we can teach each other something.”

  For a second, Butch looks unsure of himself. “Yeah, we could hang out,” he says as if he’s trying to act cool.

  I take a step toward him. Crap, he doesn’t realize I'm being friendly and not flirtatious. “Butch,” I say seriously, “I’m not interested in you in a romantic way.”

  Butch casts his eyes downward and takes a deep breath. It’s clear he’s disappointed, but then he chuckles. “That’s good,” he quips, “because I’m not into high fallutin’ city slickers with curves for fuckin’ days.”

  My tense muscles relax with relief. “And I’m not into judgy, douchebags with laughing eyes.”

  “I’m real pleased to meet you, Tamara Honeywell,” he says, smiling.

  “Why?”

  “I like having attractive friends. And you are hot,” he says with a wink.

  I laugh and nod my head. “Okay, here’s to friends. I need a friend around here anyway. Who’s better than a skinny chicken expert who is meant to watch out for me?”

  Butch leans agains
t Thunder’s stall, and the huge horse reacts by getting onto its hind legs and neighing. Butch jumps away and clears his throat in an attempt to act natural.

  I smile and walk toward Thunder. “Are you scared of him?”

  “How come you’re not?” Butch stands well back and allows me to lead Thunder into the main part of the barn.

  “I don’t know. This is the first time I’ve seen a horse in person. I’ve always thought they were beautiful, but never interacted with them.” I pet Thunder’s nose and tie him to the fence post outside the barn. “Do you want me to show you what to do? You can’t get over your fear from over there.”

  “I’ve heard bad things about this horse,” he says nervously.

  I laugh and extend my hand toward him. “I promise I won’t let him hurt you. You’re the first man that Thunder has allowed near him, so that’s a start. It’s good for him.” I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of the gentle, almost feminine vibe to him that makes Thunder tolerate being around him.

  He shakes his head. “Nah, I’ll pass,”

  “Come on, Butch. It’s really not that bad. Just try it.” I cajole.

  When he just stares at me, I pull the guilt card. “Don’t you trust me?”

  “Of course I trust you, but I don’t know about this.” His tone is semi-persuaded, but I know I need to go a step further.

  “I thought we could be such good friends, but you won’t even help me to tame my horse?”

  “You know I would if I could,” he says, taking a step in my direction.

  All that’s left is pity. “But you can.” I lower my head and drop my shoulders, taking in a deep breath and petting Thunder solemnly. I’m not Tamara, but hell, my acting is top notch right now. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” I mumble.

  “Fine.” He sighs and cautiously comes toward me.

  I look up at him and smile. Thunder doesn’t react as Butch approaches, and I bite my lip anxiously. Will Thunder take to Butch the way he took to me?