Trouble in Cowboy Boots Read online

  And there was that chuckle again, like the devil’s laughter.

  “Let me tell you how I like my sex, Emily Proctor.” As he spoke, he removed his clothes one item at a time, not rushing, drawing the process out. “I like it rough, but not so rough it’s not enjoyable. I like to dominate, but only if my partner is willing to submit. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you, sugar?”

  She nodded, eyes wide, pussy fluttering.

  “In the bedroom, I want to be the one to call the shots, whatever they are. I want to tie you up and spank you. Fuck you with every kind of dildo. See you on your knees sucking my cock. Tease you until if you don’t come, you’ll go crazy, and not let you come until I tell you to. Can you take that? Would that give you pleasure, Em?”

  “I-I think so. I’ve never, um, you know…”

  “Never done this?” One corner of his mouth turned up in a half-grin. “Oh, I know that, sugar. And I want to tell you this takes a tremendous amount of trust.” The grin disappeared. He was one hundred percent naked now and looming over her, his cock swollen, the head dark and engorged. “Truth time, Emily. We haven’t known each other that long, but you’ve had a good chance to see what kind of person I am. Think you could trust me? Like that?”

  Could she? Take a step that big with a man she’d just met?

  “You’d have a safe word,” he went on. “Any time you want to stop, all you have to do is use it. No questions asked. And, Emily? You have no idea how much your submission would turn me on. It would be a gift I’d cherish. So, in reality, you’d be the one in control.”

  He tried to stay calm while he waited for her answer. Her eyes never left his and he could almost see the questions chasing themselves through her brain. He couldn’t remember when an attraction to a woman had been this strong, like a punch to the gut. Last night had shattered him, breaking down the wall he always kept erected between himself and his partner. He’d learned to involve his body, to elicit trust, without letting his emotions off the leash.

  But Emily Proctor was a different story altogether, and he didn’t have any idea why. She was nothing like the women he’d dated. They were tall, knowledgeable, steeped in Texas life and aware of the culture of ranching. They could hold their own in an upscale restaurant or a musky barn. And they expected the same thing he did—a fulfilling relationship for whatever time it lasted. He wasn’t looking for a permanent thing and he chose women who felt the same way. He liked his freedom, his independence. He was far from ready to give up the banquet life offered, nor had he felt the need to.

  But somehow, this woman with the silky brunette hair, who looked far more fragile than she was in reality, had knocked down those barriers in a heartbeat. Well, okay, in an orgasm that defied description. This whole thing had moved along at fast-forward. But she’d gotten to him in a way no other woman ever had. He wanted to tie her up, fuck her senseless, spank that luscious ass and fuck her there. More. All. Everything.

  She was also the only woman he’d fucked in this house. He was always very careful to separate his sex life from his real life, not wanting to give any of his women the idea that they could make themselves at home on the Lazy Aces. But everything about Em was different and he wondered if he was following his cock only to find his head in a noose. Still, he had no intention of changing his mind—he wanted this woman with an unexpected fierceness.

  What if she said no? How would he be able to let her stay here, temptation just beyond his reach? But he couldn’t fire her. He’d already let that cat out of the bag.

  Shit!

  He wished she would say something already.

  Then she nodded, slowly, and a soft “Yes” floated from her mouth.

  Wyatt let his breath out in a whoosh and his heart began beating in triple time.

  “Stay right here,” he murmured. “I’ll be right back. Do not move.”

  She nodded.

  He yanked on his jeans and shirt and raced through the house, confident that no one would wander in by accident and ask him what the mad dash was about. In his room, he opened a locked drawer and took out the things he wanted, yanking off his T-shirt and folding it to hold everything. Then he was back in Emily’s bedroom, placing everything very carefully on the nightstand and stripping off his jeans again.

  He paused to take a look at Emily, stretched out on the bed, the sweet naked little cunt just calling to him. She had stayed right where she was, in the same position, a look of expectancy on her face.

  Too fucking wonderful.

  Reaching out, he ran his hand over the pink skin.

  “Sweet. Just fucking sweet.”

  Lifting Emily, he whisked away the towel still beneath her, tossed it aside and arranged her with her head on the pillows. As he reached for the fleece-lined leather cuffs beside the bed, he gave silent thanks that the beds in the house all had old-fashioned spindled headboards.

  With great care, he fastened each of the cuffs around her wrists, threading the thongs linking them through the headboard. Emily followed everything he did with her eyes. When he had the cuffs secured, he bent his head and kissed her, first brushing his lips against hers before tracing the seam with his tongue and at last thrusting it inside. She welcomed his invasion, meeting his tongue with her own, and in that instant he knew it would be all right. That she would accept everything he had to offer and meet it with her own challenges.

  His blood raced with anticipation and his cock flexed with need. He knew the playtime in the truck and shaving her cunt had enhanced her arousal. Now, he wanted to see how long he could tease her, how well she could follow his order not to come until he gave her the release she wanted. He only hoped he could control himself long enough.

  Kneeling between her thighs, he reached for one of his favorite small vibrators. All of the toys were brand new—he always restocked after a relationship ended—but he knew how stimulating this particular toy could be.

  Emily was watching him, the heat in her eyes unmistakable, her face flushed with desire. God, he wanted to lick every inch of her body. He settled for kissing the insides of her thighs, just featherlight touches, tiny licks with his tongue, a ghost of a touch. He was rewarded when she quivered with need, automatically arching her hips up to him, urging him to the place she really wanted his touch.

  He chuckled against her soft skin. “You want more, sugar? Let’s see how you like this?”

  He turned on the little vibrator and ran it in short strokes over the top of her mound, over the naked skin. Although he circled the clit peeping out from the folds of pink flesh, he deliberately skirted it, saving it until she was begging for him to touch her there.

  “Please,” she begged, as the vibrator slid up and down her labia and rimmed the opening of her vagina.

  “Please what?” He heard the huskiness in his own voice. “Tell me what you want, sugar?”

  “More. You know.” She tugged at the cuffs as if trying to free her hands to show him what to do.

  Wyatt bent forward, even as he kept the little toy buzzing around on its journey, and licked each nipple, once, with the tip of his tongue.

  “If you want it, you have to tell me,” he urged. “I want to hear you say the words.”

  Signs of her internal struggle flashed across her face. Then she wet her lips, took a deep breath and said, “Put it on my clit.”

  “Ah.” He smiled at her. “See there? That’s my girl. And here’s your reward.”

  He centered the little toy on her clit and exerted a slight amount of pressure. He knew the vibrations were racing through her pouty lips and into her wet channel. He knew just how much this would arouse her. He kept his eyes glued to her face as she trembled and bucked, trying to squeeze her legs together, riding the wave rising within her.

  He slipped one finger inside her cunt and was rewarded with the wet kiss of her tender flesh and the clutching of her muscles around his touch. Her hips bucked again and the flush on her face deepened.

  “Keep those beautif
ul eyes open,” he ordered when she closed them to lose herself in sensation. “I want to watch them when you come.”

  No sooner had he said the words than her climax roared up through her, shaking her, hot cream bathing his finger inside her. She pushed her heels into the mattress. Lifting herself into the stimulation as she continued to convulse in the grip of the orgasm. And despite her obvious need to lose herself in the blaze of carnal heat, she kept her eyes open, locked with his. The jade green darkened to the color of moss, golden highlights dancing in them as she rode out her orgasm.

  When at last she stopped shuddering, she let her head fall back on the pillows and struggled to draw air into her lungs.

  Wyatt turned off the vibrator, dropped it beside him and crawled up to place his lips against hers, barely touching. “Wasn’t that good, sugar?” he breathed into her mouth. “I love watching you come. You let it all go.”

  “Uh-huh,” was all she could manage.

  He thrust his tongue inside her mouth, licking every bit of the inner surface before lifting his head.

  “Let’s see how you like this.” He picked up a realistic-looking dildo and rubbed it across her breasts, then dragged it down the valley between them, all the while watching her. “Lick it. Suck it into your mouth.”

  He placed the head against one of her lips. Obedient, she snaked her tongue out to swipe across the tip. When he nudged it against her, she opened her mouth and he gave her as much in as she could take.

  “That’s it. That’s how it will look when you suck my cock, sugar. Swirl your tongue around it. Pretend you’re tasting me.”

  He had to pull the dildo away from her after mere seconds, afraid he would come from just watching her. And he wanted to be inside her when that happened. Memories of the wet, clutching warmth of her pussy rolled back over him from the previous night and he wanted that feeling again.

  Nudging her thighs wider apart, he slid the dildo inside her channel, then pressed a little button on the bottom that set it in motion. At once Emily went wild, hunching down on the toy, riding it as if it were his cock inside her. She yanked on the cuffs, not to free herself but to give herself a pushing-off point, and fucked the dildo with a wildness that sent jolts of lightning to his already aching balls.

  Long before he wanted to, he worked the dildo free, reached over for a condom and used both hands to roll it onto his erection. He bent her knees back until they touched her breasts, placed his hands beneath her ass and drove into her with a fierceness that startled him. Holy hell! What is it about this woman that shreds the control I so pride myself on?

  Then there was no more time for thinking. Her pussy closed around him like a wet fist, cries of pleasure rolled from her lips and he powered into her with hard, fast strokes. He’d wanted to take it slow this first time, but that didn’t seem to be an option. He gritted his teeth, watching for signs that her climax was rising within her again. When he saw it, felt the spasms milking his cock and her body shake with the force of it, he allowed himself his release, bracing on his hands as he drove into her over and over and over.

  He lost every sense of himself as the orgasm shook him. There was nothing but him, this woman, her hungry cunt and his cock deep inside her. At some point, he realized he’d collapsed on top of her, heart racing like a wild mustang. He knew he had to be crushing her beneath his weight, so he made the effort to ease up a little and rest on his forearms.

  Reaching over her with one hand, he released the cuffs so she could lower her arms. Then he kissed her, a deep kiss that was equal parts of lust and passion and…something else. Something he chose to ignore. Fucking Emily was better than winning the lottery and that was what he would concentrate on.

  Finally he rolled carefully away from her and made it to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. He swept the toys from the bed and dropped them into her nightstand drawer, then climbed under the covers beside her. He took a moment to massage her arms, easing the strain of them being manacled over her head, before tucking her up against him and resting his chin on her hair.

  “Sleep, Emily,” he murmured. “Rest.”

  “Amelia’s coming again in the morning,” she said, her voice drowsy.

  “I know. Close your eyes. Morning gets here far too soon.”

  Chapter Five

  “If they call me Auntie Em one more time, I’m dousing them in bacon grease,” Emily grumbled as she mixed batter for pancakes.

  Amelia laughed. “I’d pay good money to see that. By the way, you’re mixing much smoother this morning. Did you practice last night?”

  “Oh, no, I—” She looked at Amelia, who had mischief dancing in her eyes. “What?”

  “I used to have that same morning-after blush on my face when I was younger,” Amelia teased. “And even now Dan still rings my chimes.”

  “Amelia!” Emily felt the heat creeping up her cheeks. “I haven’t any idea what you’re talking about.”

  Amelia’s laugh was like music dancing in the air. “Okay, if that’s how you want it. But I passed Wyatt as I came in this morning and he had a big grin on his face.”

  Emily just shook her head. Like Wyatt, she didn’t want what was happening between them to become the subject of ranch gossip. He was gone most of the day, out with the hands or working in his office in the barn, so there was little chance for anyone to see them together. She was more than grateful for that, especially after last night.

  Again, her cheeks warmed. She’d always had a healthy appetite for sex and even been open to new suggestions, but Wyatt was introducing her to a whole new level of sensuality. And he’d been right about one thing—giving him control actually put her in charge. The more she allowed him to take charge of the things they did, the more aroused he became and the more it heightened his orgasm. Last night his powerful body had shuddered so hard with his release she wasn’t sure he’d survive.

  Of course, she hadn’t been sure she would, either. He’d taken her to a plane of greater arousal, greater sensuality than she ever remembered feeling before. Wondering what he had in mind for tonight made all the nerves in her pussy ignite and sent a low rush of heat through her body.

  “Better get that griddle hot,” Amelia reminded her. “First shift will be here in five and you still have to scramble the eggs.”

  Lordy! Would she ever be able to multitask in the kitchen? She’d thought it a miracle yesterday that she got through the day without burning anything or throwing food away. Wyatt’s generous offer to pick up barbecue last night had been a big help, but there’d be no such luck today. Amelia had shown her how to bread chicken this morning before they started breakfast. She’d finish that after she cleaned up from the morning meal. But the work had put her a little behind.

  “Here they come,” Amelia warned, as boots sounded on the back porch.

  Shit! I’m not ready.

  Apparently no one cared, because in they came.

  She spooned pancake batter onto the griddle and emptied the beaten eggs into the heated frying pan.

  “You producing another good breakfast today, Auntie Em?” Hardy asked as he led the way to the tables.

  “You Auntie Em me once more,” she told him, “and I’ll turn you into a munchkin.”

  “Ooh!” He widened his eyes and waved his hands. “I’m scared, guys. Real scared.”

  Amelia flapped a dishtowel at him. “Hardy Wolf, you shut up and sit down or you won’t get any breakfast at all.” She pulled the biscuits from the oven and plopped them into two baskets which she carried to the table, then flipped the pancakes while Emily worked on the eggs.

  “Lookie!” Hardy broke open a biscuit. “Flaky again. Yee-haw.”

  “Just like you, Hardy,” Emily called. After four days she was feeling more confident with the men.

  “What do we use now for target practice?” someone joked.

  Emily banged her wooden mixing spoon so hard on the counter it almost shattered, and gritted her teeth. She didn’t have time for this bullshit.
Even with Amelia’s help, she was barely keeping her head above water. Who knew it took so many men to run a cattle ranch? Who knew she’d pick a ranch the size of the Lazy Aces that ran ten thousand head of cattle? She wondered if slopping beer at Chaps wouldn’t have been a better choice.

  Scant seconds after breakfast was finished, she rolled up her sleeves and breaded the rest of the chicken the way Amelia had shown her. Holy shit, it took a lot of chicken to feed twenty men. She didn’t even count herself, unsure if she’d even have an appetite by the time she finished cooking. This afternoon she’d peel potatoes and Amelia had promised to slip over and make the gravy, thank god. Gravy! Where had she gotten the mistaken impression that on ranches all they ate were things that came out of cans? She could open cans with the best of them. Or cook on a grill. That was her only other ability. Who knew she’d have to make real food?

  By late afternoon, she’d served lunch—this time she did open cans, large ones of chili—finished the prep work on the chicken and put the covered platters in the fridge, and taken out the veggies for dinner. Fixing a glass of iced tea, she carried it out to the back porch and sank gratefully into one of the rockers.

  She hadn’t taken time to get a good look at the ranch, and had seen very little of it except for the kitchen and her bedroom. Now she watched as two men worked horses in the corral with a handful of calves. She’d have to ask Wyatt what that was all about. In the distance, she could see cattle grazing in the pastures and half a dozen riders trotting leisurely along the fences. At the open doors of the barn, two men were loading hay into the bed of a dual cab pickup.

  She rocked slowly as she sipped her tea, taking in the vast amount of land that stretched away from the house to a vanishing point on the horizon. So this was what the West was all about—acres of land, cattle, horses, blue skies, oak trees and some others she didn’t recognize, and cowboys.

  Cowboys who eat a lot.

  “Taking in the sights?”

  She’d been so engrossed in studying her surroundings she hadn’t heard Wyatt mount the side steps to the porch until his warm voice slid over her like a velvet blanket. Her hand jerked and the iced tea sloshed over the rim.