Rough Cowboy Read online

  “Stop worryin’. There’s not a damn thing wrong with you. I used to think that way, but I found out some of us are born with a taste for more than the regular hump dance. That’s who I am, and it looks like you are too, but the opposite side of the coin. You and I are into kink, and there’s plenty to explore on this side of the line. So, yeah, babe, there’s more. A whole lot more, and I can’t wait to show you. We’re in for some interesting times. Now get your ass up and start unpackin’. If you finish, you can have dinner with me at the house.”

  “Talk about motivation,” she said with a grin. “Go get another box. I’ll be dressed and putting things away by the time you get back.”

  Chapter Eight

  Megan had just finished unpacking several cartons when Brad delivered the last. Sitting on the floor in the kitchen, she leaned against the cabinet and looked up at him with a pained expression.

  “This is no longer enjoyable!”

  He chuckled.

  “I need a break,” she muttered, then glanced at her watch. “Good grief. Did you know it’s almost four o’clock?”

  “Damn. You’re kiddin’ me.”

  “No wonder I’m worn out. I’ve had enough for now. Do you mind if I work with Bonny for a bit? The horses come in around five, right?”

  “Yep, and I think that’s a good idea. I need to get back to the house and go through my schedule for tomorrow. I usually do that before dinner, then I can kick back for the rest of the night.”

  “Dinner. Oh, my God. I’m already starving. What are we having?”

  “I’m not sure. I could barbecue some chicken on the grill, or we could go someplace and celebrate your first spankin’.”

  “That suggests there’ll be a second,” she quipped, ignoring the blush crossing her face.

  “You can count on it.”

  With a smile crossing her face, she rose to her feet, stepped up to him, and moved her arms around his waist.

  “But I’m going to be perfect,” she cooed, pressing herself against him. “I won’t give you any reason to whack my butt.”

  “Who said I needed a reason?”

  “Uh...”

  “Anything else on your mind?”

  Wishing she had a witty reply, she decided the safest bet was to change the subject.

  “No, except maybe this...”

  Lifting a hand behind his head, she pulled it down and softly kissed him. “That’s a thank you for all your help, and for an amazing afternoon.”

  “Careful, little lady.”

  “What do I need to be careful of?”

  “Don’t you remember what happened the last time you pressed your body up against me like this?”

  “Maybe I need reminding.”

  Suddenly swooping her up, he threw her over his shoulder and landed a swat.

  “Ow! Put me down!” she demanded, though laughing as she pounded his back. “Brad! What the hell?”

  Moving swiftly across to the bed, he tossed her on the mattress, then yanked her T-shirt over her head.

  “Ring any bells?”

  “Oh, my gosh. Why did you do that? Give me back my shirt!”

  “I didn’t hear a please.”

  “Pleeeease give me my shirt?”

  “Much better,” he declared, handing it back to her. “Count yourself lucky I’ve decided to take pity on your tender butt, or you’d be over my knee right now.”

  “Brute!” she retorted, pulling her shirt back on.

  “Yep, and you love every bit of it.”

  “You still haven’t told me why!”

  “Why what?”

  “What do you think? Why you just did that! Threw me over your shoulder then pulled my T-shirt off.”

  “Little lady, you mess with me, I’ll mess right back. Does that answer your question?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she retorted, standing up with her hands on her hips.

  “You really wanna play dumb? I’ll be happy to smarten you up.”

  She paused, then dropping her feigned indignation, she broke into a sassy smile. “Sorry. A girl’s gotta try.”

  “At least you’re smart enough to know when you can’t win.”

  “You know I’ll keep at it.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less,” he replied huskily, grabbing her around the waist and jerking her into his body, “just so long as you know what might happen.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  It was all she could manage. In an instant he’d made her knees weak, and sinking against him, she wondered why he had such a profound effect on her.

  “If you wanna work with Bonny, go ahead. I’m goin’ back to the house, and the only company I need right now has four legs.”

  “Speaking of Catch,” she murmured as he released her, “where is he?”

  “When I brought that last box up he was chasin’ a rabbit. He’ll be back by now. I’ll see you in the barn at five. Don’t be late.”

  “Kiss me goodbye!”

  “Tryin’ again already?”

  “Please, Brad, will you kiss me goodbye?”

  “Nope, but if you keep talkin’ with that sweet attitude, I’ll kiss you hello later.”

  “You’re a hard taskmaster.”

  “Babe,” he growled, abruptly pinching her nipples, “you ain’t seen nothin’.”

  “Ouch! Was that really necessary?”

  “You bet!”

  Watching him turn and march away, a broad, satisfied smile crossed her lips. He was a dream, and the play had been fun. The entire afternoon had been fun. The most fun she’d had in a very long time.

  * * *

  Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Brad spied Catch running toward him carrying something in his mouth. The dog was a first-class hunter. It was how he’d earned his name. Though Brad appreciated the free pest control in the barn, he wasn’t crazy about Catch turning up with small critters from other areas around the ranch.

  “Whatcha got there, buddy?”

  Crouching down, Brad was relieved to discover it was only a large piece of hoof, probably a scrap from when Megan had trimmed Bonny.

  “Sorry, you can’t eat that. You’ll throw up all over the house,” Brad said, prying it out of the dog’s mouth. “I’ll have to make sure Megan cleans up better. Come on, time to go home. I’ll give you a treat when we get there.”

  Walking through the barn and tossing the scrap into a manure tub, he strode up the driveway and walked through the kitchen door. Opening the refrigerator, he reached for a beer, and carried it across to the bay window to gaze out at the horses. As it always did, the picturesque scene elicited a contented sigh. Life had been good to him—mostly.

  He wasn’t a loner by choice.

  His dark passion had scared too many women, and now lived hidden inside him, except when he visited the clubs. There he remained an anonymous, shadowy cowboy arriving and leaving. But now a feisty young woman had come out of nowhere wanting what he offered. She was naive, but he’d sensed her true nature and taken the leap of faith. Their chemistry was white hot, but he pondered the all-important question. Would it burn out, or flame into something more? The something more for which he’d been aching. For years he’d dreamed of having the warm body of a submissive sharing salacious nights, and delighting his days with a mutual love of horses.

  His phone rang, startling him, and snatching him from his deep reverie. Retrieving it from his pocket and glancing at the screen, he saw the caller was Jennifer Roberts. He paused. He had no desire to speak with her, but not wanting to deal with the prickly woman the next day while he was busy working, he accepted the call.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi, Brad. Jennifer Roberts here.”

  Her voice was crisp.

  “Hi, Jennifer,” he replied, moving away from the window to sit on a stool at the kitchen island.

  “How’s Gypsy doing?”

  “She’s settlin’ in just fine. I’ve hired a new assistant. Her name’s Megan Newman,
and she’s made great progress.”

  “Excuse me for saying so, Brad, but I hired you, not some girl I haven’t met.”

  Though her reaction wasn’t completely unexpected, the sharpness in the woman’s voice was like fingernails scraping a chalkboard. Rolling his eyes, he took a swig of his beer.

  “Are you there?”

  “Yep, I’m here,” he said patiently, wishing he could tell her she was the one who needed the attitude adjustment, not Bonny. “I understand where you’re comin’ from, but I wouldn’t have brought Megan on board if I didn’t think—”

  “Whatever your reasons, Brad, I haven’t met her and I don’t know her,” Jennifer said brusquely, cutting him off. “You came highly recommended, and I want you working with the mare, no one else.”

  He couldn’t help but notice Jennifer had said the mare, not my mare. He felt a glimmer of hope. If Jennifer had no emotional attachment there was a good chance she might be willing to let her go. He decided to roll the dice.

  “I know this is outta left field, but do you have any interest in sellin’ her? Megan’s taken a real shine to her, and I think—”

  “To your new assistant? Probably not. Gypsy’s too athletic to let her become a backyard horse. That would be a waste. Besides, I’ll make some decent money out of her if I can get her issues dealt with.”

  His fingers clenching his phone as he grit his teeth, he summoned every bit of his self-control. The woman’s arrogance and lack of compassion was beyond the pale.

  “Maybe I should just pick her up and send her somewhere else. If you don’t have the time or interest—”

  “Jennifer, I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” Brad said, needing to get off the phone before he said something he’d regret. “I’ll send you a video. You’ll be able to see what my assistant has achieved with your own eyes, and I promise, it’ll blow you away.”

  “When?”

  “I’ll go into my office, download it, and shoot it off to you in an email right now.”

  There was a pause.

  “Okay. You’ve got me curious. I’ll be waiting.”

  Ending the call, he took a long swallow of his beer.

  “Man, I’d like to take a belt to your pompous ass. No wonder that mare was so fried when she came off that trailer.”

  Slipping off the stool and carrying the bottle into his office, he settled behind his desk. Though the cameras would have recorded every second of the interaction between Megan and Bonny, he planned to send just the few minutes showing Megan trimming the mare’s feet as she stood loose in the round pen.

  Turning on the monitors and finding the footage, he decided to watch it from the beginning. Hitting the play button, he settled back to enjoy the show, but as it reached the point where he’d left the house to join her, he leaned forward, completely spellbound.

  Bonny no longer wore a halter, and standing directly in front of her, Megan stepped forward, then back. Bonny followed Megan’s feet with her own. Then Megan turned sharply to the left, and back to the right. Tossing her head with delight, Bonny did too.

  “Damn,” he muttered. “You two are dancin’. You’re actually dancin’.”

  After a few minutes, Megan walked to the wall, collected the tools, carried them to the middle of the pen, and picked up the horse’s front foot. Taking the last swallow of his beer, he watched the entire recording again, then downloaded thirty seconds showing Megan trimming Bonny’s feet. The horse that had arrived spooky and difficult showed no signs of her former behavior.

  “That should put your mind to rest, Jennifer,” he mumbled, sending off the email. “You couldn’t ask for more, but you probably will.”

  Though Brad had implemented the latest technology for his barn’s security, and constantly upgraded as improvements became available, he refused to give up his pen and paper calendar. Sitting on shelves behind him were rows of diaries in chronological order. Everything was written down, and the data couldn’t be lost or compromised. If someone called and gave him a date, he could find the event in a flash. Opening up his book for the coming week, he gave it a quick look, then focused on the following day. It would be a busy one. The first client at eight a.m., the last at 5:30 p.m. but there were only two locations. Unfortunately Andy wouldn’t be at his side. Everything would take longer.

  “Whatta ya reckon, Catch?” he muttered, reaching down to pet his dog. “Should I take Miss Smartass with me?” Then chuckling, he added, “Or should that be Miss Redass?”

  Jumping to his feet, Catch ran to the door and looked back at him expectantly.

  “Oops, sorry. I forgot to give you that treat. I’m comin’. Time to bring the horses in, and are we stayin’ in for dinner, or goin’ out? So many dang decisions.”

  * * *

  Reaching Bonny’s paddock, Megan started to unbuckle the halter from the fence, but changed her mind. Walking through the gate, she stood quietly and watched the beautiful dark bay mare lift her head, prick her ears, and stare back at her.

  “Hey, Bonny. Mind if I hang out with you?”

  As Bonny ambled forward, Megan walked toward her. The two met up, and Bonny dropped her head into Megan’s chest to give her a nudge.

  “I’m happy to see you too,” Megan purred. “You’re such a lovely girl.”

  Smoothing her hand down the mare’s neck, she began to rub her withers. The grateful horse stretched out her neck, then shifted her body to guide Megan to the area she wanted to have rubbed. Laughing, Megan obliged. The two fell into a pattern until Megan thought her arm would fall off.

  “Sorry, Bonny, I have to stop,” she declared, leaning against her. “You’ve worn me out. You and the unpacking. And Mr. Big of course,” she added, giggling at the nickname.

  She let out a happy sigh, and for the first time since her arrival, she studied her surroundings.

  Bonny’s paddock was the closest to the barn, then Megan noticed each of the paddocks offered a back gate. Curious, she walked across the field, Bonny sticking to her like glue. Reaching the fence, Megan found herself staring down a gentle slope and another ranch in the distance, and to her left, slightly elevated, a grouping of trees.

  “This is such a beautiful spot,” she murmured, dropping her arm over Bonny’s neck, “and up there would be an amazing place to build a hideaway cabin. Think of the view, not to mention the privacy, but I suppose I should be heading back about now,” she said, glancing at her watch. “Oh, no. It’s already gone five o’clock! I’m late. I can’t believe it. Come on, sweetheart, it’s time to take you in.”

  Chapter Nine

  Walking into the barn at precisely five o’clock, Brad found it quiet and empty. When he hadn’t seen Megan in the round pen with Bonny as he’d passed, he’d assumed she’d already taken the mare back to her stall for the night. Glancing up at the large, round clock on the wall, it read 5:01 p.m.

  Thinking she might have changed her mind about taking Bonny out and was still unpacking, he climbed the stairs and knocked on the door. Receiving no answer, he moved back down to the barn, and as he walked outside to start bringing in the horses, he spotted her jogging across Bonny’s paddock from the back fence. To his amazement, the mare was trotting along beside her with no halter or lead rope, and as he marched up to Leo’s paddock, he continued to study them. They were in sync, as though Megan had owned Bonny for years.

  They’d reached the gate, and he watched as Megan unbuckled Bonny’s halter from the fence, slid it over the mare’s head, then picked up the rope from its hook and snapped it in place.

  “Hey, Megan,” Brad called.

  As she spun around to face him, it was obvious he’d caught her by surprise.

  “Oh, hi,” she called back. “I didn’t see you there.”

  “After you put Bonny away, throw the hay into the stalls.”

  “Will do.”

  She seemed flustered, then it hit him. She’d been out in the paddock playing with Bonny and had lost track of time. Shaking his head, he put the halte
r on his horse and led him into the barn. Megan was already carrying two flakes of hay across the aisle toward Bonny’s stall.

  “Hey,” she said with a wide smile as she tossed them to Bonny. “Leo gets both alfalfa and timothy, right?”

  “Yep, but hold on a second.”

  Taking Leo into his stall, Brad closed the door, hung the halter on its hook, then pointed to the floor.

  “Megan, look at that mess.”

  “Sorry, but hay always falls off the flakes, especially timothy. I’ll clean it up when I’m done.”

  “That’s why there’s a wheelbarrow in the feed room. You put the hay in there, and wheel it to the stalls.”

  “Good idea. Did you tell me that? If you did, I’m sorry, I forgot.”

  “No problem, I might not have. We covered a lotta ground, but you are in trouble for bein’ late. I told you five o’clock sharp.”

  “I was here and I...”

  “And you what?” he asked as her voice trailed off.

  “No, I’m not going to lie,” she muttered, walking closer to him. “The truth is, I was with Bonny and forgot to check my watch.”

  “Finish with the hay, then put their supplements into their buckets while I bring in Pepper and Poet. We’ll talk about this over dinner.”

  Walking back outside, he broke into the smile he’d managed to suppress. When he’d confronted her about her tardiness, her face had blushed bright red. She’d be thinking of nothing else but the upcoming conversation, and wondering if he’d make good on his threat to deliver a swat for every minute she’d been overdue. He wouldn’t disappoint her, but he wanted to make the discipline interesting. As he approached Pepper’s paddock an idea took hold.

  * * *

  With the horses settled in for the evening, Megan fetched the broom to sweep the aisle. Her butterflies still hadn’t settled, and Brad leaning against the wall watching her didn’t help.

  “Brad, do you have to do that?”

  “Do what?”