Bridling Lucy (Horse Mountain Shifters Book 3)

by Sierra Brave

  Chapter Six

  The next day when he arrived to pick Lucy up, she was waiting on the front porch for him. She’d pulled her hair back in a high ponytail and dressed appropriately for work. As she stood up from the patio chair, he noticed the paper cup in her hand.

  As she made her way over to his patrol vehicle, he hopped out. “What’s that?”

  She looked down at the multicolored cup and its black lid. “Coffee. You want some?”

  He shook his head. “You can’t drink that in my patrol vehicle.”

  She scrunched up her face. “Why not?”

  “You might spill it. I don’t want you to make a mess.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Are you serious?”

  He nodded. “Yep.”

  She huffed. “You never drink coffee when you’re driving to work?”

  “We’re not talking about me. I know I won’t spill a drop.”

  Her nostrils flared but after a few seconds, she shrugged. “Fine, I’ll drink it down and throw the cup away inside. Just a minute.”

  He watched her sexy ass as she walked back toward the matriarch’s place. Stop…just stop. He closed his eyes to force himself to quit staring. A few minutes later she emerged from the house without the cup. He helped her up into the vehicle before they left.

  As Chance drove down the mountain, Lucy fumed. She glanced around the interior, noticing for the first time how spotless he kept his vehicle. She didn’t see a speck of dust on the dashboard or anywhere else. Still, I’m not some idiot who can’t drink a cup of coffee without spilling it all over the place.

  She squirmed in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position for her sore bottom. She hadn’t expected her ass to still hurt the next day. The sharp pain she’d experienced during the punishment was gone, but a dull ache had settled into the flesh of her backside.

  “What’s with the face?” Chance glanced at her for a second before focusing on the road again.

  “Nothing.” She looked down at her lap.

  “You sure? Because that grimace indicates you might have something to say.”

  She shook her head, not wanting to be spanked on her hurting fanny. “I just wish you had a little more faith in me is all.”

  “I will as soon as you earn it. In the short amount of time you’ve been here, I’ve already had to spank you twice.”

  “I’m sorry.” Her voice was low as she bowed her head in shame. I’ll show him. I’m going to do everything right from now on—make him recognize how responsible I really am. She stayed silent for the rest of the ride.

  As he helped her out of the SUV, he stared into her eyes and brushed his hand against her cheek. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” Tears she refused to shed welled in her eyes as she nodded. “Have a good day at work, and I’ll be back to pick you up after your shift. He pulled back his shaky hand before averting his eyes and rubbing his neck. “I’ll see you later.”

  What was that? As she walked to the office to sign-in, she pondered his expression and gentle touch. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he wanted to kiss me. The edges of her mouth turned up as she walked with newfound energy.

  ****

  Chance tried to breathe through his mouth to lessen the potency of Lucy’s scent filling up the air between them. Something about the sweet smell made his mouth water and his cock twitch. His stomach simmered with anxiety as he glanced over at her and she smiled. “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks…but for what?” She squirmed in her seat, tugging at her seatbelt.

  “You’ve been working at the ranch for a little over a week now and have managed to go four days in a row without misbehaving. Davis said your supervisor gave you a glowing report yesterday.” He glanced her way and frowned as he realized how distracted she was. “Lucy?”

  She lifted her head and stopped fiddling with her seatbelt. “I hate the way this thing lands right under my neck, and the latch to adjust it doesn’t work.” She pressed the button on the buckle, and the belt retracted, leaving her unrestrained.

  Chance lifted an eyebrow while staring at the road before him. “What the hell are you doing? Put that back on.”

  She shook her head. “It’s too uncomfortable.”

  He narrowed his eyes as he glanced her way and noticed she’d folded her arms across her chest like a stubborn child. “I said to fasten your seatbelt.”

  She frowned. “It doesn’t fit right.

  “I’m not kidding, Lucy.” He shot her a stern look and she stuck her tongue out at him. He furrowed his brow. “Seriously?” He sighed while shaking his head. “Well, since you’re asking for it…” A few minutes later, he turned down a path hidden in the trees and parked.

  “What are you doing?” Lucy glared at him.

  He hopped down from the SUV before walking around to open her door. “Get out.”

  She scowled. “Why?”

  “We’re going for a little walk.” He grasped her arm and helped her exit.

  He’d expected her to resist so when she didn’t, he felt bad about his roughness and loosened his grip. She stared at the ground while slouching to the point she actually looked as if she’d shrunk an inch or so. She followed his lead as they headed deeper into the forest. The warmth of his palm made him realize he’d absently taken her hand as if they were on their way to a picnic. What’s wrong with my head?

  His heart skipped a beat, and he broke a mild sweat. His horse was practically bucking inside of him, urging him to mate. As she entwined their fingers, he tried to bring himself to pull away and tell her to stop but a lump in his throat kept him silent. Somehow holding her hand in his felt so damn right. After walking for about ten minutes, they came upon an old tree that had fallen on the ground.

  “This should do.” He took a seat and patted his lap.

  She looked at him with dewy eyes. “Are you going to spank me?”

  “Do you deserve it?” He tilted his head and she nodded contritely before taking her place over his knee.

  Lucy did her best to control her breathing as she placed her hands on the ground to steady her trembling body. For the past week, she’d worked her butt off, and Chance had barely paid any attention to her so it had become clear she’d have to provoke him if she wanted to feel his touch and the heat of his body again. She just hoped the punishment wouldn’t hurt too much.

  “You know what. Hop up.” Chance nudged at her.

  Reluctantly, Lucy stood. “Changed your mind?”

  He chuckled. “Hardly.” He unsnapped her button fly jeans. “I just want these down.” He yanked at her clothes until her pants and underpants bunched up around her ankles. “That’s good. Back in place.”

  While biting down on her bottom lip, she repositioned her body. The first smack came without warning and was hard enough to take her breath. The second struck in fast succession, making her cry out. Chance’s peppered her flesh with hard, sharp swats, using his heavy hand to spread the pain around her entire ass.

  She squirmed, kicking her legs as he landed a frenzy of stinging licks. She cried out as he popped one of her thighs. “No, please don’t.” She tried to shield her red, hot buns with her hand, but he grabbed her arm and pinned it behind her back. Her ass burned as if it had been splattered with hot grease bubbling on the stovetop, but her pussy throbbed. She wished she could touch and rub her clit as he spanked her, but even if he hadn’t restrained her to the point she could barely move the upper portion of her body, she wouldn’t have dared.

  “You earned this so stop the kickin’ and complainin’.”

  “I’m sorry.” Her face flushed with warm shame as he spread her plump globes, exposing her puckered hole. She gasped, widening her eyes as he held the crevice open before spanking some previously uninitiated inner cheek. “Ow.” She wiggled and squawked as he blistered her butt. He paused suddenly and she panted, attempting to catch her breath. The short reprieve ended when he landed a sharp smack on her right cheek. “Ooow! Please, Sir. It hurts so much
.”

  “You’re lucky I didn’t make you pick me a switch.”

  She gulped as her imagination ran wild with thoughts of thin, red strike marks lining her bottom and the whooshing sound created by a flexible rod resisting the air. “Thank you, Sir.” She sniffled even as her pussy ached with need.

  “You were doing so well. I was proud of you and then you had to go and pull this crap.” His words sent a pain to her chest equal to the agony her bottom felt. He had noticed and now I’ve disappointed him. She bawled, tears pouring as if floodgates had been opened. He landed a few more smacks on each of her cheeks before moving his hand to her thigh. As he lifted his heavy mitt, she braced herself for the next barrage of swats on her bottom but gasped as he landed three much lighter smacks between her legs.

  She squeezed her eyes closed as she attempted to swallow the lump building in her throat. There was no way he’d miss how damp her folds were. He paused for a moment before landing three more swats on her pussy.

  The punishment ceased and the only sounds she heard were from the birds flying overhead and some squirrels running around nearby. She stayed as still as possible as he placed his hand on her bottom and began to rub her sore, well-punished skin. “I’ve just realized I hadn’t prepared for this scenario.”

  “Huh?” Lucy lifted her head.

  “I don’t have any lotion for aftercare.” His fingertips lightly traced the areas he’d spanked the hardest.

  She closed her eyes again as her heart turned flips inside her chest and her thighs quaked. “There’s another way you can comfort me.”

  “How so?”

  “First, let go of my hand.”

  He loosened his grip around her wrist and caressed the area he’d held so tight. “And then?”

  She moved her hand, grasping his before pushing it between her legs. “Make me feel good.”

  “Oh…”

  She held her breath, half expecting him to rebuke her or toss her on the ground. As he placed his palm on the small of her back, she exhaled. His other hand rested on her thigh before slowly traveling upward and then palming between her legs.

  “You’re wet.” His husky voice sent her heart racing as he traced the seam of her pussy with a single fingertip. She dropped her head to hide her embarrassment. As his finger slid into her slit, she gasped. He pumped his digit slowly, heightening her arousal. She closed her eyes, her lips slightly parted as she sucked in her breath. Without warning, he pulled his hand away, making her whimper. “Can you sit on my lap with your legs spread?”

  “Yes.” She quivered as her tummy fluttered.

  He hauled her up to her feet before helping her move into position. As she settled down on his lap, his budding erection pressed against her aching rear. She put her arm around him to keep from toppling off his lap as she spread her knees apart while hiding her face in the crook of his neck.

  Chance pushed two fingers inside of her, moving them with skill and precision. She moaned while absorbing the heat from his body and then she licked his neck, tasting his salty sweetness. He quickly found the special place deep inside of her, and as he jabbed against the sensitive area, she cried out. “There it is.” His tone was filled with triumph.

  “Ooh, ooh, yesss.” She was shaking and nearly bouncing on his lap as he strummed her clit with his thumb while pummeling her sweet spot with his fingertips.

  Lucy tightened her stomach muscles as pleasure flew at her hard and fast. She panted, pushing her cheek against his shoulder. Guttural noises caught in her throat soon forced their way up and then out of her mouth. Within seconds, he had her teetering on the edge of orgasm. As much as she wanted to hold onto the ecstasy and excitement for even a few seconds longer, the tantalizing sensations overpowered her will. “Aghhh!” She clenched against his fingers while quivering in bliss.

  Even as his own erection pulsed against her ass, Chance removed his fingers from inside her before holding her as she trembled. Her heartbeat sped up as he stroked her hair while licking his fingers clean. As she regained control of her body and breathing, Chance placed a chaste kiss against her forehead. “You took your punishment well. Let’s get your jeans up.”

  “What about you?” She reached behind her and squeezed his throbbing cock.

  He pulled up her pants before fastening them. “I’m not the one who needed aftercare. I’m not going to take advantage.”

  “I don’t mind.” Lucy looked up at him while licking her lips.

  He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “No. It wouldn’t be right.”

  She pulled away and lifted her shirt off over her head before unbuttoning her pants again. She kicked off her shoes as he stood, slack-jawed while staring with wide eyes.

  “Lucy…Stop before it’s too late. I don’t want to hate myself.”

  She blushed. “You’re a shifter, right? Show me your horse. Let’s run.”

  He grinned as he nodded. “That I can do.”

  As he stripped off his clothes, Lucy couldn’t take her eyes off his gorgeous physique. Tan skin, rippling muscles and even only half hard, a huge cock—he was fantastic.

  He stretched before transforming into a beautiful black and white stallion. Lucy chuckled. “I did not expect that—you’re a pinto.” He nickered as she finished undressing and shifted into her snowy white filly.

  Chance traipsed around a group of trees, leading her out to a more open meadow. They ran in circles through the small clearing, jumping and galloping until they were both nearly exhausted. Lucy shifted and dropped to the ground on her human knees. Chance followed suit, holding her as they caught their breath. “How do you feel?”

  “Amazing but dead tired.” She flashed a toothy grin his way. “You?”

  “Awesome and oddly refreshed.” He stood and offered her his hand. She struggled to her feet. “Come here. I’ll carry you.”

  “I don’t know. I’m a big girl.” She gulped as he swept her right off her feet.

  “I’m an even bigger man.”

  She closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder. She struggled to keep her heavy eyelids open but to no avail. When she woke up, she was fully dressed and back in the passenger side of Chance’s truck. For a minute she’d thought she’d dreamed the whole thing until she noticed her seatbelt was fastened and her ass was stinging.

  Rain dropped panged against the windshield, the wipers flicking them away as they drove. A loud crash followed by a flash of light made Lucy jump. “Oh, my God! What the hell?” She held onto the edge of her seat and shivered in fear.

  Chance placed his hand on her knee. “It’s just a storm. Haven’t you ever seen lightning before?”

  “I’m from the deserts of Nevada.”

  “So it never rains there?”

  Her teeth chattered. “Not often. I was more used to it when I was younger, but I’ve always hated thunder. She pressed her palm against her chest as she tried not to hyperventilate.

  “Okay, it’s okay.” He squeezed her hand while driving so slow cars were honking and passing them. “Breathe slowly and just try to relax.” As he talked her through a few reps of inhaling and exhaling, her muscle tenseness lessened. He flipped down the sunglass holder. “Put those on and close your eyes.” He pointed at his glove box. “I’ve got some noise canceling headphones I use at the firing range.”

  As soon as they were over her ears, she breathed a little easier. “Thank you.”

  Once she arrived back at Mrs. Bank’s house, Chance draped his jacket over her head before walking her to the door and seeing her inside. After she returned his coat, she lingered in the front foyer, hoping he’d kiss her good-bye, but after he tipped his hat and walked away, Lucy’s heart sunk into her stomach and she held back tears.

  She rushed to her bedroom as fast as she could before closing the door behind her and crumbling onto the bed. She buried her face in her pillow and cried. After everything we did, he couldn’t kiss me?

  She stayed in her room to pout until Mrs. Banks called her
for dinner. In a complete departure from the norm, she had no appetite at all and spent most of the meal picking at her food while the matriarch ate. “Something wrong, dear?”

  Lucy shook her head as she stared at her plate of salad and breadsticks. “No, ma’am.”

  “Would you prefer I cook something else for you?”

  “No, thank you.” Lucy just wanted to be excused from the table.

  Carolyn Banks dabbed at the sides of her mouth with a napkin. “Sweetie, tell me what’s wrong.”

  She sighed. Talking was the last thing Lucy wanted, but apparently, she didn’t have a choice. “Have you ever met someone you really liked, and you know he likes you too, but he won’t admit it?”

  The corners of Mrs. Bank’s lips turned upward and her eyes lit up. “So it’s going well.” She tented her hands under her chin. “Good.”

  Lucy shook her head while squinting. “Huh? No, it’s going horribly. He pretends like he barely notices me, and when he does show me any attention, seconds later, he acts as if he’s forgotten.”

  “Sweetheart, you’ve already pushed that one further than he’s ever allowed himself to be budged. Just keep working on it.”

  Lucy frowned. “Why should I? If he’s going to make out like I’m nothing to him, I should move on.”

  Mrs. Banks rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “Of course you’re right. He’s haughty and obstinate, and you deserve a man who will throw himself at your feet.”

  Lucy smiled. “You think so?”

  “Absolutely, but you have to ask yourself an important question.”

  “What’s that.” She waited with bated breath for the older woman’s reply.

  “Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?” Mrs. Banks tilted her head and smiled.