Chapter Five
“Hey, Shayne, who’s your buddy?”
He glanced around at Wyoming’s words, expecting to see Jolie had followed him to the new cabins being built. His heart actually leaped with hope. Then he saw the dog.
He whistled, and Katrina jogged over to his side. She sniffed his hand and he patted her head. “This is Katrina.”
“The dog you found up on the mountain? I’d heard rumors but didn’t realize they were true.” Wyoming neared, and Katrina watched him warily. But Wyoming was a good guy and even animals sensed that. Within seconds, he had the dog licking his hand and leaning against his leg for more ear rubs.
“The one and only Katrina. At least that’s what her collar says.”
Wyoming took a look and grunted. “Wonder what the initials stand for.”
“Who knows if we’ll ever find out. I can’t seem to find her owner.”
“Have you put an ad in the paper?”
“Elena did that the other day. So far, no responses. We took her to the other shelter and she didn’t match any descriptions of lost dogs there either. She’s a mystery.”
“She’s a sweet girl. Thin, though.”
“She was half-starved up there on the mountain. If she sticks around here, she’ll soon be fat and lazy.”
“Wonder if she’s any good with cattle? Have you run her yet?”
He shook his head. “No time.”
Wyoming arched a brow. “Thought this is your week off.”
Shayne didn’t know how much to tell his buddy. Hell, he didn’t know what to say about Jolie at all. Basically, he’d found a dog and a built-in family all in a twenty-four-hour period. Maybe life was trying to tell him something.
“Shayne’s got company this week, don’t ya?” Nolan drawled from the ladder he stood on to reach the peak of the cabin.
Wyoming shot Shayne a look. “Family?”
“Old friend.” He went back to hammering.
“Oooh, old friend,” Wyoming mimicked, moving his hands in a womanly shape of curves.
“Get back to work. Cabins aren’t going to build themselves and we’re already behind.”
Wyoming opened his mouth to say more but his gaze fixed on a point somewhere over Shayne’s shoulder. He glanced back to see those womanly curves walking toward them.
Wyoming let out a low whistle. “No wonder you’ve been occupied. Damn, she’s hot.”
“She’s damn beautiful. I’ve seen her up close.” When Shayne had walked into the lodge and seen Jolie, Nolan had been the Boot Knocker talking to her.
At least the guy had a shirt on today. Boots too. He was hot-blooded and an exhibitionist. Luckily, Jolie hadn’t seen much. Half the time the guy was found naked in the oddest of places. Women threw themselves at Nolan, even ones who were with other Boot Knockers. He’d ended up playing switcheroo with more than one client.
“Sweet Jesus, she looks good in that vest. Is that yours, Shayne?” Wyoming was staring at Jolie in appreciation.
He looked closer at the black vest she wore. It hung well below her hips and somehow accentuated her figure even though it was far too big for her. Still, he couldn’t agree with Wyoming more. She looked hot in his vest. Though she’d look better out of it.
“Yeah, it’s mine.” His voice held a possessive note of so is she. Hands off. Though he didn’t say that.
When Katrina caught her scent, she turned and ran up to Jolie. She bent to pet the dog and speak softly to her.
“Never wished I was a dog so much in my life,” Nolan said.
Shayne snapped his head up to look at him. Nolan laughed and got back to working on the eave trim. Wyoming stepped right up to Jolie and offered a smile and tip of his hat.
“Howdy, miss.”
Jolie blinked and flushed. A dark clutch of jealousy gripped Shayne’s stomach, but he didn’t say a word. “Hello,” she said, reaching up to touch her throat.
She was attracted to Wyoming. Hell, everyone was, even Shayne. The guy oozed sex appeal and the pope himself would be taken with the cowboy. Good thing Wyoming didn’t let it go to his head, though. He was as down-to-earth as they came.
Shayne shifted his hammer to his other hand so he could gather Jolie close to his side. He hadn’t straightened things out with her yet. After his demand to see Belle and her obvious irritation with him, he’d felt it best to give her some space.
Still, she’d come seeking him out. Maybe she was seeing his point of view on the subject. He didn’t think he was being an asshole, but he could be wrong. Lil’d set him straight, if he asked.
“Everything okay?” He leaned close to her ear.
She nodded. “I just wanted to see what you were doing.” Katrina bumped her head repeatedly against Jolie’s thigh until she reached down to pet her. The dog definitely understood Jolie was its champion and a safe haven. And Shayne knew what Nolan meant about wishing he was a dog. Damn, her fingers working over the dog’s back made him wish he was on the receiving end.
“Do you have enough Boot Knockers to fill these cabins?” she asked.
“Not yet. It’s in the works.”
“I can’t believe you’re so in demand.”
“Why does that surprise you?” Wyoming asked. “You must know a lot of women who have issues or hang-ups about sex and relationships.”
“Yes, but…” She cut off and looked to Shayne.
“You still don’t buy that we help people, do you?”
Nolan’s hammer had stopped and he was listening keenly. Jolie didn’t mean to insult anybody—she just didn’t get the whole ranch operation.
“We work on building women up around here. It’s a shame the world needs that, but why else would we need to expand?” Nolan put in.
Shayne could see the wheels turning behind her eyes. She’d believed Shayne had just wanted to get laid. And yeah, he was a horny fucker. But the Boot Knockers were a big deal, renowned for their therapy work. Sure, their methods were unconventional but they were doing good things, as Nolan had said. And the pay was far better than any grunt work he was qualified for.
“Okay, I’ll play along,” she said, setting her hands on her hips just so.
“Oh boy. You’ve asked for it,” Shayne warned with a grin.
“Say a woman’s been abused her whole life. She has little self-worth. How are you helping her get past that and have a normal life?”
Wyoming scratched his clean-shaven jaw with his thumbnail. “Start nice and slow. A long walk, a good meal.”
“Are those things supposed to make her forget?”
“No, but eating her pussy will.”
Jolie’s flush was back in full force.
“We’re not downplaying anybody’s hardships, Jolie,” Shayne said. “But we do a lot of good here, and there are many, many women who can testify it’s the truth. When you leave here, you’ll feel different. It’s a journey that isn’t only sexual.”
At mention of her leaving, she stiffened against his side. His heart did a backflip, and he tried to backtrack to move the focus off her leaving. The thought killed him as it was. He had no idea when she might pick up and leave. He’d half expected her to go during the night without telling him. He’d managed to get her back into bed and into his arms, but she’d been silent.
He didn’t always know what to do, and he’d spent all night awake thinking about it. How to show her that he was serious about meeting Belle and being part of her life. The more he thought on it, the more he realized he couldn’t just sign some papers and walk away from her forever. Now that he knew about her, she was a permanent fixture in his life.
“Speaking of women, the lady in my life should be waking up right about now.” Wyoming gave Jolie a wink and dropped his hammer back into the toolbox. “Take good care of this one, Shayne.” As he passed Jolie, he squeezed her upper arm.
She made a quiet noise but didn’t say anything as he walked away. Nolan climbed down the ladder halfway and then leaped the rest of the way to the ground. His boots kicked up the thin powder of snow.
“I’ve got someplace to be too.” He eyed Wyoming’s ass as he walked away and then followed.
Leaving Shayne and Jolie alone.
He turned to her. “You okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” She straightened her shoulders and he saw he’d insulted her. Damn, she was such a strong and independent woman. No wonder she’d chosen to raise their child and leave him out of the picture. He could see how he’d given the impression that he didn’t want any responsibilities and was far from ready for commitments.
“The guys can be a little much.”
She pivoted to watch them go. Nolan caught up to Wyoming and hooked him around the shoulders. Wyoming shoved him, but the touch was far more than playful.
Jolie caught on too. “Will they be…”
He nodded.
“Do you...?”
He nodded again. Her eyes widened but she didn’t speak.
“Life isn’t all black and white.”
“You think I don’t realize that? I’ve been doing things differently than a lot of people would for almost two years.”
He pushed out a sigh that didn’t alleviate the pressure in his chest. Guilt, sadness and some anger were all trapped behind his breastbone. He could let her time here with him be about the struggles between them or he could do more.
He reached for her. “You look sexy as hell in my vest.”
She remained stiff in his hold for a moment before relaxing against him. He drew her close and dropped his nose into her hair. Freshly washed, smelling of citrus.
“I’m trying to understand all this, Shayne.”
“I know. It’s not easy for some and you’re doing great. In fact, there’s something to see this afternoon that could help explain things better. Trust me?”
She searched his eyes. “I’m not sure when you say it like that.”
He glanced at his watch. Half an hour till the weenie and bun relay race started. Followed by the strip poker tournament. More often than not, everyone was already naked after the relay and the strip poker never had enough players. But the fun wasn’t to be missed, especially for a woman trying to figure out what The Boot Knockers Ranch was all about.
“We’ve got some time to kill. ’Bout half an hour.” He spoke softly and smoothed her hair away from her beautiful face.
Her breath caught. “What would we do?”
“I’ve got a mind to show you the inside of this cabin.” He arched a brow and she took his meaning. Two minutes later he’d kissed her till she was gasping, had her top up and her pants down. The vest she’d been wearing was abandoned among the wood cutoffs and sawdust on the floor.
She issued a rough, rasping sigh. “You feel so hot against my skin. How can you be so warm?”
“The first thing they tell you in survival mode is to get naked.”
“That’s if you’re wet.” She giggled but the sound cut off when he cupped her pussy.
“Baby, you are wet.”
* * * * *
She was more than wet and aching. She was hungry for Shayne—so hungry. The need inside her was an animal clawing to get out. Only he’d never done this to her, made her feel so insane with it.
He was all virile male against her, making her feel perfectly protected. How did he do that with just his presence? She had lied to herself so many times before coming here.
Told herself she didn’t want him anymore, didn’t need him to touch her body and stroke in all the right places that electrified her. When she finally fell into bed at night, exhausted and alone, she told herself she was only using him as fantasy when she fingered herself to completion.
How could she continue to lie to herself? She wanted Shayne. She connected with him on so many levels, and if they could just get it together to connect on the other fronts…
No. Her firm answer to her own what-if echoed through her body but it didn’t douse the need that made her shake. Her nipples were so hard, so tight. And his hands roaming up and down her naked flesh had her groaning.
He turned her against a bundle of drywall stacked in the corner of the big open cabin. It wasn’t exactly warm in here, but they were buffered from the wind and she had Shayne.
“Brace your hands on that stack and spread your legs for me.” His command washed over her, all her fantasies embodied in one deep voice.
She swallowed a hiccup of excitement and rested her palms on the plastic covering the drywall. When she bent over, her ass was naturally thrust into the air.
A thrill went through her as she felt his stare on her backside. Her skin prickled. Any reservations she had about her appearance and baby weight fled under his hot gaze.
“You’re so fucking perfect. You can’t imagine how hot you look from this angle.” He sounded as though he’d guzzled half a dozen nails.
She panted in anticipation. Shayne had always been in charge in the bedroom. He’d always known how to take control and give her everything she needed—even if she didn’t know what she needed.
She craved a man who could do this to her. Make her quiver with need and burn so hot she couldn’t think of anything but him putting his hands, his mouth on her. And burying his cock deep until she cried out and came around him.
The longer she stood there exposed to Shayne’s gaze, the more she shook. “Please, Shayne.”
“Whatever our differences, we do this right, don’t we, baby?”
She heard the ripping of a packet, and thought of him sliding a condom over his thick length.
He gripped her by the hips and joined them in one sleek thrust.
Sucking in a breath, she let her head drop, squeezing him with her inner muscles.
“Oh fuck, baby.” He cupped her breasts and began to fuck her from behind. Every push of his mushroomed head stretched her core. His skin scorched her with every thrust. His broad chest cradled her spine, her ass fitting neatly against his groin.
He kneaded her breasts and twisted her nipples into hard peaks as he sucked on her neck.
She reached back and threaded her fingers into his hair, sending his hat tumbling to the floor. He rocked back. Pushed deep again. Her pussy throbbed around him, but her clit needed attention too.
She slid her fingers between her thighs.
“No, this is mine.” He brushed her hand aside and centered her clit beneath one big, callused fingertip. She cried out as erotic energy blasted through her. Her pussy flooded around him, and juicy sounds filled the cabin.
“Please, Shayne.”
“Please, what, angel?” he whispered hotly against her ear.
She shuddered with pleasure. “Make me come.”
“Oh, I intend to. Over and over.”
“We have…” she sucked in as he angled his cock high against her inner wall, “half an hour.”
“More like twenty minutes now, but I’m confident I can do it.” She heard the smile in his voice.
He released his hold on her hip and a second later she felt his fingers slipping between her ass crack.
Down to her pucker.
“Oh God,” she cried.
“Damn, I knew you’d respond to that,” he rasped.
She let her thoughts blur into sensation. His finger working her clit, his forbidden touch on her ass and his cock driving into her with rhythmic thrusts that—
She burst in an explosion of white light. Stars gathered behind her eyes as her orgasm overtook her. Shayne looped his arms around her middle, yanking her against a wall of muscle that she never wanted to get away from.
Damn if she didn’t cry out his name.
* * * * *
“That’s one.” He couldn’t keep the smugness from his tone as he turned her in his arms. Her lips were swollen, bitten to a bright pink. He claimed them as he hooked her leg high on his hip and sagged at the knees to thrust his aching cock back into her.
She tightened around him, arms clinging to his neck as she kissed him back with all the passion he’d brought out in her. She was soaking wet for him, all that liquid heat…
She broke the kiss and dropped her forehead to his chest. He used his hand on her ass to drag her down on his cock. Her sweet pussy slicker with each move.
“Next I’m going to tie you to my bed with rope. And torment every inch of this body.” He slipped his finger between her cheeks again and found her anus. The ring tightened under his touch, and his balls throbbed more.
Jolie was different.
Dammit, too different. He couldn’t deny he was becoming obsessed with being with her. And his urge to mark her…
He ground out a moan and shoved deep into her once again. The picture of his handprints reddening her ass made his cock jerk, and she moaned.
He lifted her and whirled, levering her against the wall and supporting her as he fucked her up and down on his cock.
“Shayne, you’re so deep. So good.” She raised her head and he kissed her deeply. The swirling of their tongues fueled his fires. He was battling on the edge of release but no way was he going to go back on his promise to make her come over and over.
He rocked his hips and probed her backside with a fingertip. It slipped past the ridges and sank into her to the knuckle.
She clenched around him, tossing her head back on a cry.
“That’s it, baby. Come for me.”
He anchored her in place to free up his hand and use it as he intended—to drive her wild.
After mere seconds, he felt her begin to bear down on him. Squeezing his cock, clamping around his knuckle.
Her mouth opened on a silent scream, and he claimed her lips again, pulling long throaty moans from her with his tongue.
* * * * *
She couldn’t believe how far he was pushing her. Her body was a live wire, sparking at every nerve ending. He seemed driven to wring every last pulsation from her body.
He stretched her backside with his finger until she started thrusting down on his hand. The pleasure of his forbidden touch only heightened her awareness of this man. How strong yet tender he could be. How passionate and gentle.
How determined to get his way. That never changed.
And damn if she didn’t want to give it to him.
She ran her lips up and down his neck, over the salty musk of his perspiration. He slid free of her body and let her feet skim the ground. But he held onto her, which was good. She didn’t know if she could even stand anymore.
He reached down and swiped his shirt off the dusty floor. He tossed it on the drywall stack and pointed to it.
“Lie there and put your arms over your head.”
Her nipples pinched at his gritty demand. Then she hitched herself onto the stack and rested back on his warm, soft flannel. As warm as if he’d just taken it off. How was that possible? Maybe her body was just on fire.
She hesitantly raised her arms over her head and gave him a look.
“Wrists together.”
A shiver of excitement ran through her.
She moved into position and he came forward. Where he’d found a length of rope was anybody’s guess. These Boot Knockers had rope and condoms hidden every two steps all over the ranch, it seemed.
She stared up at his rugged features as he bound her wrists together. He tested the knot and slid his fingers under the rope against her skin. “Can you move?”
“Yes.” She tested to show him. If anybody had told her a month ago that she’d be here, tied up and at Shayne’s mercy, she would have laughed in his face. Yet here she was.
Loving it.
“If you lose feeling or your fingers start to tingle, tell me immediately and I’ll untie you.”
She could actually slip free if she tried hard enough, but for now, she liked lying here under his steady, heated gaze.
“You make me feel beautiful.”
His throat clicked as he swallowed. “You are beautiful. Spread your legs.”
Her pussy couldn’t get wetter. Or maybe it could. She parted her thighs and her slick folds were exposed to the air.
He flicked his gaze down to her pussy and back to her face. His cock stood out rigid and purple against his carved abs. He fisted his hands and veins snaked all the way into his biceps.
She moved to reach for him and realized her hands were bound.
He gave her a crooked grin. It would have melted her clothes right off, but since she wasn’t wearing any…
He wet his lips nice and slow. His intentions weren’t lost on her.
When he lowered his head between her thighs, she released an unearthly noise. Who knew she could sound so wanton? She wasn’t a bit embarrassed, though. She spread her legs further and urged him to her.
“You’re so fucking wet for me.” He extended his tongue and lapped from bottom to top of her seam. She cried out and barely pushed into his mouth before he was gone, licking over her inner thighs, driving her to twist and strain. But he wasn’t to be hurried.
She groaned in frustration.
He lifted his head, hot breath washing over her bare folds.
“You don’t like what I’m doing?” he rumbled.
“You know damn well I love it.”
“Hmm. What’s the problem then?” His eyes glittered with mischief.
She moved her arms to try to bat at him, but her wrists didn’t want to work as one unit. “You’re teasing me.”
“More like tormenting. You should see your face.”
She tried to locate her features to figure out how she must look, but soon gave up. He chuckled against her inner thigh and ran the point of his tongue downward once more. She held her breath but he never reached her most desired place.
She bucked her hips. For a split second, she made a connection, her clit meeting his scruffy jaw. She cried out, but then he was gone.
Sucking on her inner thigh again.
“Dammit, Shayne.”
“You’re feisty when you don’t get your way.”
“That’s right. Why are you making me suffer?”
“Maybe because you didn’t believe I could make you come several times in half an hour.” He checked his watch. The damn man checked his watch! “Seven more minutes.”
“I can come in seven minutes.” At this rate and with his skills, she could come seven more times in seven minutes. But she wasn’t about to feed his ego—it was big enough, judging by the wicked gleam in his eyes.
“Can you now?” He hovered his tongue over her folds but didn’t touch her.
“Shayne!” She moved to cuff his ear but was too restricted. “You tied me up on purpose.”
“That sort of thing doesn’t usually happen by accident.” He dipped his tongue into her pussy. Sinking in and then retreating as quickly as she could blink.
She almost screamed her frustration. She should give up and say she’d had enough. That two orgasms in a day—hell, a week—for a single mom of a toddler was great. But she was greedy, and Shayne was going to give it to her.
He cupped her thighs and spread them so she felt her folds separate. He slowly and deliberately began to lick her. Up and down. Side to side. Avoiding her aching bud but God, it felt sooo good. She writhed under him and heard herself begging for more.
She was on the verge and it would only take a second or two. A stroke of his tongue and she’d be flying.
He pulled back and stared into her eyes. A smile crossed lips shining with her juices. “How long do you suppose we have?”
“Five minutes?”
“Three.”
“Oh God. Shayne, please.”
He nibbled along her outer pussy lips near the crease of her thighs. Then he opened his mouth wide and sucked on her pussy, clit and all.
Now this was more like it.
She quaked under his attentions and couldn’t gain enough air to even make a noise. Then he slid two fingers into her channel and pushed down, applying pressure to a spot that she’d never known she owned.
She exploded with a gush of fluid and a jerk of pleasure. Spinning out of control for a long heartbeat before she realized he’d thrown her legs over his shoulders and was pounding into her.
“Shooting for that last minute?” she managed to rasp out.
He gave a single nod that only a cowboy could get away with. “I won’t waste a single moment.” He churned his hips and her body had barely come down before it was rising again, peaking.
They came together, her with a long, thin wail and he with a primal grunt.
She finally figured out what to do with her arms and looped them, bound, around his neck to hitch herself up for his kiss. Just what she didn’t want to happen happened.
Her ex had lured her in and stolen her heart all over again.