Rope 'n Ride Box Set Books 1-6

by Em Petrova

  “Lie flat on it.”

  She jerked and shot him a glance.

  “Fuck, I love it when you plead with your eyes like that. Do as I say, Channing.” His voice washed over her senses and she found herself obeying without thought. Lulled by his voice even as it knifed through her.

  Slowly she lowered her breasts and belly to the truck. It was high enough that she had to strain a bit on tiptoe.

  Buck issued a gritty noise. “Such a beautiful ass. Spread your legs wide.”

  A snake of excitement slithered down her spine and she could barely hold still as she did his bidding. The high grass tickled her calves, heightening her awareness even more.

  When she heard the snick of a belt buckle followed by a zipper, she twisted to see him. Watching Buck Calhoun take his clothes off was a sight to behold. Hell, women would pay huge money just for a glimpse of him shirtless. But she knew how glorious he was in the buff. Tan lines ending low on his waist, his carved muscles on full display.

  “Face forward.”

  Before she’d even gotten a good look at him? Shame.

  Buck’s body heat enveloped her, and she stopped feeling sorry for herself. Her skin broke out in light perspiration. Her pussy clenched hard, and a bead of juice ran down her inner thigh.

  Sure enough, Buck caught it with his forefinger. He followed the wet trail up to her soaking center, massaging her needy folds without giving her time to warm up.

  Gasping, writhing, she fought to encourage his fingers right where she wanted them.

  “You’re soaking wet for me, my pretty little slut.”

  “Y-yes.” She dropped her shoulders, letting her weight rest on the truck bed, unable to hold herself up anymore. He slid his fingers up and down her wet seam, over and over again, until she was panting.

  Suddenly he removed his fingers and gathered her long hair in his fist, drawing her head back a bit. She moaned and her nipples hardened even more. She’d let him do anything to her. She adored every moment she spent in his radar, and she had to admit, that was more often now that she’d dumped him.

  He tugged her hair. She cried out at the pleasurable sting on her scalp just as he tapped her ass with his palm. Not a hard slap but enough to let her know his intentions.

  He was warming her up.

  “Buck…”

  “That’s it, my little slut. Beg for me. Beg for what you need.”

  “I need…your fingers. Your cock.”

  Another slap—harder this time. “Oh you’ll get it. Or will you?” He spanked her harder. She arched into his hand at the same moment he pulled her head up and back. She wiggled like a worm on a hook.

  Five more slaps on her ass cheek and her flesh felt as hot as the surface of the sun. Leaning over her, he trailed his lips over her shoulder. The prickly hairs of his stubbled upper lip sent her into the nether-world. She cried out for more.

  He kissed a path across her shoulder and down her spine while still latched onto her hair and smacking her ass. When he switched to the other cheek, she issued a primal moan.

  “Mmm, you are needy. I didn’t appreciate you leaving my bed so soon back in Waco, though.”

  But he’d already fucked her the minute he’d come home. Hadn’t he given up on that slight? Apparently not.

  He plunged two fingers deep into her channel. She screamed, but out here nobody could hear. He pulled his fingers out and slammed into her again as if it were his cock splitting her. She rose and fell, waves of bliss lifting her higher and higher. Pretty soon she’d break.

  “Your pussy is so greedy. Clutching my fingers. Do you want to come, darlin’?”

  “Yessss.”

  “How close are you?”

  “So close. You’re driving me crazy, Buck!” Her voice echoed her loss of control. He pulled his fingers out of her pussy and spanked her, stamping her own juices all over her ass. She felt a deep flush of heat crawl over her body.

  “God, yes. I love when you get that sexy glow. Now show me what a good girl you are and come for me.”

  As he thrust his fingers back into her pussy, deep and high, she cried out. He pounded them in and out until the first contractions fluttered through her lower belly. Then she was coming. Coming apart for him.

  Ecstasy tossed her in its grip and she was helpless to do anything but feel. He held her as she thrashed. Then he let her down slowly against the truck bed again. She waited what felt like an eternity for his cock. When he didn’t push the fat head against her slick folds, she leaned upward to look at him.

  He stayed her with a hand on her back. “You want this, but I wanted you back in that motel and I woke up without you.”

  She’d wanted to stay. She wanted him worse now. How to merge her two selves?

  Let go and give herself to Buck.

  A breath left her. “I won’t do it again.”

  “Damn right you won’t.” He fitted his cock at her opening and in one smooth glide filled her.

  As he shoved balls-deep, they shared a moan. She tensed, on the precipice already. His strong body moving behind her—inside her. She focused on the rhythm of his breathing, her heart surging with happiness that he sounded as breathless and out of control as she felt. She reached back and grasped his hip, drawing him a scant inch deeper.

  His balls slapped her body. He grunted, stiffened. She lost herself for a dizzying moment before her body took over and contracted madly around his length.

  “Fucking hell, darlin’,” he grated out as the first hot splash of his release bathed her insides. Digging his fingers into her hips, he jerked his cock into her again and again. Her body had surrendered, as always with Buck. Maybe it was smarter than her brain because that seemed much more hesitant.

  As he withdrew from her body and lifted her into his arms, cradling her against his sweat-damp chest, she wondered if she’d ever be able to walk away from him now. At the moment he didn’t seem to want to let her go.

  But a cynical, hurt part of herself spoke up. Until after the filming when he’s got his money.

  * * * * *

  Buck sensed Channing’s distance immediately. He hadn’t spoken so he couldn’t have stuffed his big foot in his mouth. But maybe that was the problem—he hadn’t spoken.

  Drawing her closer, he pivoted to lean against the tailgate with her in his arms. They were both as naked as the day they were born and somehow, being in the wide open this way made him feel closer to her.

  “I have a blanket in the truck. Let me spread it out for us.”

  “Okay,” she said quietly.

  He released her and grabbed the blanket. After unfurling it in the back, he motioned for her to lie down. He followed, tugging her back into his arms. Her thick hair caressed his skin, and his cock twitched, readying for round two.

  “I was happy to see you standing on my front porch when I pulled up to the ranch,” he rumbled, lips against her hair.

  She squeezed him a little tighter, which was a good thing. The best response he could ask for, really. After she’d left, he’d had a lot to think about. Somehow while talking to Andrew he’d found his own meaning of life.

  He had no idea what the future held for him and Channing, but right now they were thrown together, their lives entangled, and he planned to make the most of it. Not for the sake of the production schedule but for himself. She made him feel good, and he wanted to bring a smile to her face far more often.

  When she didn’t respond to his statement, he used a knuckle beneath her chin to force her to meet his gaze. “You didn’t tell me why you moved back in. And it looks as if you brought more things.”

  She pushed out a breath. “Everything, actually. I let my apartment go.”

  Surprised, he arched a brow. “What prompted that?”

  As she began to pluck at his chest hair, he saw—and felt—her frustration. Gently he stilled her hand, flattening it to his skin. “What’s going on, darlin’?”

  She pushed away from him and flopped onto her back, staring up
at the expansive sky. A few clouds scudded overhead. The wind was kicking up and before long it would be raining. That meant working in the mud tomorrow, but he’d have Channing beside him. And being in the mud with her was infinitely more fun.

  He brought himself back to the present. “Something’s wrong.”

  She curled onto her side again, elbows tucked close over her breasts and her eyes shining with tears. The sight pierced him right in the heart. “Do you ever wonder what we’re doing here on earth? Why situations are put before us even when we didn’t want them?”

  “Are you talking about the show?”

  She gave a slight nod. “That and other things.”

  When she didn’t continue, he brought her into his hold again. With her wrapped in his arms, he hoped to get to the bottom of her troubles. And there were some—he sensed it.

  The wildlife had picked up its song again after they’d silenced it with their screams of ecstasy. He listened to the chirping of birds and buzz of insects for long minutes before she finally relaxed against him. Extreme tenderness rose up inside him. She’d been there for him and whatever she was going through now, he was there for her.

  Cupping her head, he said, “Are you ready to tell me now?”

  “It’s my brother.”

  He jerked. He hadn’t been expecting that. She rarely spoke of Luke. “Is everything okay?”

  “No, everything is very much not okay. I’m trying to help fix it, though.”

  “Okay, I give up on trying to decode your meaning. Just tell me, darlin’.” He smoothed her hair down to her nape before returning to the top and doing it again.

  “He’s got a…gambling problem.”

  Hell. He’d heard of people getting too deep and losing everything. Obviously things were that bad, and—

  “Wait. Is this the reason you gave up your apartment?”

  “And car.”

  “Jesus.” He let out a low whistle. “It’s that bad?”

  “Yeah.” Her voice sounded thick with tears. “He’s being threatened. So I helped him the best I could. For now.”

  Buck latched on to the for now part. Maybe the two of them had more in common right now than ever—they both needed cold hard cash to get their families out of a bind. But he didn’t like the idea of her dealing with people who were demanding cash. They could be dangerous. Especially Oklahoma rednecks.

  “Who are these people Luke’s dealing with? How did he meet them?”

  “No idea. All I know is he came to me begging and... Well what was I supposed to do? You help your family, right?”

  “Yes, we do.” He looked into her eyes. “I can give him the winnings from my last event if you think it will help.”

  She was shaking her head before the words fully left his lips. “I couldn’t let you do that. Besides, with Asher in the state he’s in, who knows if you’ll even be competing the rest of the season.”

  “Hell. You’re right. How did everything become such a fucking mess?”

  It was her turn to stroke his hair. He closed his eyes and allowed her soothing touch to sink into him.

  “Have you spoken to Ash?” she asked.

  “Yeah, on the drive home I called him. Andrew got some of it on film but I made him turn the camera off.”

  “Probably best. Asher didn’t sign up for this crazy like we did.”

  Buck stared into her eyes. “Do you feel it’s a real invasion of privacy?”

  “Sometimes. I could hardly eat breakfast for fear I’d miss my mouth and it would go into an episode.”

  He chuckled. “You do have a way of missing your mouth.”

  One of their first dates had ended with an ice cream stain on Channing’s shirt. But he’d fallen so hard for her that day.

  She pinched his upper arm, and he laughed harder. “What? It’s cute. Okay, so besides fear of being shown as the messy Calhoun, is it too bad to live with?”

  “No. I learned a lot about your mom and dad’s relationship today. How she’d been so involved in the rodeo but when she found your pa, she didn’t need that in her life anymore and she turned to being a wife and mother.”

  Buck gave a slow nod. “Seems we can all learn from this experience and use the stories to bring us all closer. We’re gonna need it to get through tomorrow.”

  “What’s tomorrow?” Her eyes were clear and bright, without a hint of the tears from earlier.

  “Ennis.”

  She groaned.

  “Tell me about it. I’d rather be dragged behind a stampeding bull than face my cousin. But it has to be done, and probably on film if he’ll sign the waiver. But we need to discuss the ranch changing hands and I have a feeling Ennis is going to see bigger dollar signs once he finds out about Rope ‘n Ride.”

  “Me too. I guess we face him as a united front. Eight Calhouns versus him.”

  Buck couldn’t stop the grin from spreading over his face if he tried.

  She blinked at him, a puzzled expression on her pretty features. “You’re smiling about this?”

  “No. I’m smiling because you called yourself a Calhoun.”

  Chapter Five

  “Our dad was taught by his dad, and he taught us all to be cattlemen and horsemen,” Buck said as the camera followed him across the yard. Ridge had several horses saddled, and Buck looped a thumb in his belt as he surveyed the stock.

  “Which is best for my man Andrew here?” he asked Ridge. Then added, “Isn’t a better man with horses than my brother.”

  Ridge gave a single nod that was so much like Buck’s that Channing smiled.

  Wynonna sauntered from the barn leading her own impressive mare. “Maybe not a better man, but there’s a better woman.”

  The film crew all sniggered. Wynonna had them wrapped around her little finger, and she’d probably leave a string of broken hearts after filming ended. They all seemed smitten with her. But why not? She was a bombshell with her red hair streaming down her back. When she swung into her saddle, several cameras snapped to follow her action.

  Channing giggled, and Buck threw her a look. The laugh died on her lips and suddenly her throat was parched. He hadn’t paid attention to her this way in ages. What had changed?

  He returned his attention to his brothers.

  Maybe nothing changed.

  As he hitched his boot into the stirrup and whipped his leg over the back of his horse, Channing’s body did somersaults of lust. “You ridin’ along, darlin’?”

  Crap, his low drawl made her instantly wet. Too easily she imagined him instructing her as he bent her over his tailgate.

  She managed a nod and accepted the reins from Ridge with a word of thanks. When they were all on horseback, including the film crew, she looked around with surprise.

  “Three years of lessons in high school,” Andrew said with a sheepish smile. “The network only wanted accomplished horsemen, figuring we’d be filming from the saddle.”

  “Smart call,” Channing said and spurred her mount after Buck’s. As she sidled alongside him, he slowed to keep abreast. Again, something he’d never done before. Was this all an act for the show?

  As they rode, he started to explain more about the ranch. “We’ve got about eight hundred acres here. We have plenty of good horses we sell. One line even made it to show horse status.”

  “And we run cattle. Today we’ll be moving them to another part of the ranch where they can graze new land, but also because we’re separating the ones that aren’t yet branded,” Ryder added.

  A cameraman asked if they could explain the term “branding.”

  “We mark ’em,” Ryder responded, his black hat lower than Channing had seen him wear it. Maybe he wasn’t feeling comfortable with the cameras either. “Trust your neighbor, brand your cattle.”

  West gave one of his shrill whistles that left Channing’s ears ringing, but one of the cattle dogs shot forward. While the film crew was distracted, she dropped back a little. When Buck did too, she shook her head at the sheer madness
of it all. To anyone else, it would seem like a small courtesy but to her it was huge. For months, she’d been feeling the loss of this exact point. He’d stopped caring.

  But now it seemed he’d started again.

  One of the brothers was talking about dealing with cattle and how much patience was needed. Steers were ornery and they wouldn’t get anywhere if they didn’t listen to the beasts as well as heed their own common sense and training.

  “Daddy trained them all to be men and for his daughter to accept nothing less,” Wynonna said, once again stealing the spotlight even if she hadn’t meant to.

  Channing peeked at Buck from the corner of her eye. Straight spine, hands relaxed around the reins, rolling in the saddle like the horseman he was. And other things affected her—like the dark hair sprouting on his jaw though he’d just shaved this morning. She’d watched him while lying in the bed they’d shared.

  “When is Ennis coming?” she asked, low.

  “After lunch.”

  “You know I’ll be there for you.”

  His eyes gleamed from under the brim of his hat. “I’m counting on it, darlin’.”

  West’s whistle pierced the air again, and they all looked up to see a cow jumping the fence.

  “Here we go,” Wynonna said wryly.

  All five brothers shot off after the animal. Lane reached the fence first and his horse sailed over it as if it were inches off the ground. The brothers whooped. The camera crew hung back, using their zoom lenses, she supposed, while a couple guys went ahead to try to record what happened with the brothers.

  Wynonna trotted back to Channing’s side with a grin. “I swear at times like this I can almost hear my daddy giving my brothers hell. Saying they need to corral the runner in a different way—that they’re doing it wrong.” Wynonna sniffed.

  “Ohh.” Channing reached across and touched her arm. They shared a sad smile. Though Channing hadn’t known Buck Sr., she’d come to know so much about him through his family. And she felt a small pang of loss too every time they spoke of him.

  Buck had been particularly broken up after his father’s death, and Channing had grown close to him very fast because he’d needed someone to understand, to listen. In fact…