Bought by the Lone Cowboy

by E. Walsh

  “I appreciate your telling me all this, Ginger, but I’m not sure what your intentions are.” Dylan at back, his arms folded across his chest. The dogs had started barking about something outside, so Emily stepped out back to shush them. Once there, she took a deep breath. What was she getting so worked up, anyway? She had just met Dylan, and even though she was now his wife, he was a man with a past. What could she really do to change that? What point was there in getting mad?

  She walked into the backyard for a few minutes in an attempt to clear her mind. She tried to imagine what Leila would tell her, and she decided that as always, Leila would recommend something prudent and wise. Emily imagined that Leila would tell her to go for a walk and calm down, or to go sit down and have a beer to see if that soothed her nerves at all. The sun was bright and in the distance, a herd of cows grazed beyond Dylan’s fence line. She wondered if she’d be on this property long enough to see them live out their lives.

  After a few long, deep breaths, Emily turned around to go back inside. When she did, Dylan was standing at the door to meet her. “I thought you might have disappeared.” He took her by the arm as soon as she got to the top of the steps. Emily gave him a wry smile and then walked into the kitchen, back to her oats and brown sugar.

  “How did your talk go?” Emily tucked one of her long strands of hair behind her ear and then pulled out some measuring cups from the cabinet. She thought back to when she was a little girl and her mother used to make her oatmeal raisin cookies as an afternoon treat. It was peculiar how some memories had such a powerful sticking power.

  “The talk went fine. I didn’t see that one coming, though.” Dylan shook his head and then chuckled. “Leave it to Ginger to show up at the least opportune moment.” He looked at Emily and could tell that she was bothered. He wanted to tell her that Ginger’s visit was inconsequential, that she had no hold on him any longer, but he knew Emily wouldn’t believe him. He realized that only time would prove where his commitments stood, and how he truly felt about Emily.

  “I’m popping these cookies in the oven. Can you pull them out in ten minutes?” Emily untied the apron she was wearing and then tried to make a graceful exit from the kitchen. Dylan grabbed her gently by the arm.

  “Hey. I can tell that you’re upset. Emily, you have to believe me when I tell you that Ginger is not going to disrupt what we have going on here. Please.” He stammered and then ran his hands through his thick, dark hair. “I know that there’s nothing I can say to convince you, but I will tell you that my word is golden. I love you.” Dylan let go of her arm and she took off down the hall, not sure of where she was going, or what she was going to do next.

  * * *

  Chapter 10

  She stormed up the steps and then opened the door to her room. What was she doing? Why was she acting like a child? She tried to remind herself that only a month ago, she was worried about ending up homeless on the street. She needed to get her thought sin perspective and be thankful that she now had a job-and not just any job, but a relationship that brought her purpose and fulfillment.

  She stepped off the bed and reached for her suitcase. Then she chuckled. She knew that as soon as she pulled Leila’s letter out of her suitcase she’d be interrupted, either by Eisley, Anna, Dylan, or the dogs. It made her smile, but it also made her frustrated. She really wanted to get her message out to Leila. She needed to know if she was okay, and how her job at the bakery was going.

  She reached inside the pocket and pulled out the letter, then unfolded it and set it down on the bed. She lifted up her pen and started to write a letter, just as Dylan called to her from down the hallway. “Emily. I need to see you.” He came to the door and she attempted to stuff the letter back into her suitcase. “What are you doing?” He gave her a quizzical expression.

  “I’m trying to write my cousin a letter, but so far, I’ve been interrupted consistently every time I lift up a pen.” Emily gave Dylan a playful look, but there was an underlying honesty to her frustration. Dylan frowned.

  “I’m sorry. Want me to leave you alone?” He started to walk out of the room but Emily grabbed him by the shirt-tail.

  “No. I don’t want you to leave me alone. I want you to tell me that you’ll always be here for me, and that we’ll be able to get through this confusing and tumultuous time in your life. We have so much more to talk about, Dylan. I mean, I still don’t even know what that meeting with Felix Rose resulted in. Are you going to lose this place? Are the girls going to have their livelihood threatened? We need to talk about this.” Emily felt a tear come to her eye.

  “I know we have a lot to talk about. It will happen. And to answer your question about the house… I really don’t know what will happen. I have a few leads for banking positions outside of Laredo, but it’s all speculation right now.” Dylan didn’t want Emily to know that he was scared of losing everything. He really didn’t know what was going to happen, and there was nothing he could do to make the uncertainty go away. So, he decided he’d just have to embrace it.

  “You know, I’m not sure what you think about this, and I know I’ve only been here for a short time, but my cousin, Leila, is a great person. She bakes, she cooks, she sews and she gardens.” Emily wasn’t sure where she was going with her information, but she was counting on Dylan to fill in the blanks. “Maybe she could help out somehow. Maybe if she came out here, we could all pool our resources and make something great happen.” Emily shrugged. It was the optimist in her coming out again.

  Dylan liked the sounds of it, even though he had no idea what Leila was like. “Let’s invite her to come visit. Why not?” He smiled and then took Emily by the arm. “In the meantime, let me make love to you. Right here. Right now.” He grinned and started to lift Emily’s sweater over her head. She couldn’t resist him, as usual, so she helped him get it off, and then she unzipped her pants and let them drop to the floor.

  Dylan unzipped his jeans and shook then to his ankles. Then he lifted off his own shirt and clasped his arms around Emily’s waist. He drew her close to his body and breathed in all of her womanly scents and energies. She unfastened her bra and let it fall to the floor, and then she pressed her breasts against his strong, muscular chest and shuddered as her nipples grew hard against his body.

  Dylan ran his hands over her shoulders, down her arms, and around her waist. He kissed her neck and her breasts, then eased his mouth down her body until it landed on her sweet, feminine bounty. He kissed her womanly mound with his lips and then knelt down on the floor, eager to take in more of her delicate charms. Emily moaned with ecstasy.

  He guided her gently to the floor, and they embraced on the rug that lied at the foot of her bed. With his strong and measured hands, he felt the gentle slope of her hips, the tight formation of her thighs. Then he allowed his fingers to travel along her hairy treasure, until they found their way inside. Once there, he played with her until she cried out with intense pleasure. Then he climbed on top of her, as he’d done before, but this time with more conviction and dominance.

  “I’m never going to leave you, Emily. And I’m sorry about my embellished advertisement. I really was a successful business man years ago. I used to work as a financial advisor for fifty percent of the ranchers in Lubbock. But that’s another story, sweetheart. I’ll tell you everything as long as you don’t leave me.” He buried his face in her breasts and then licked her nipples with his tongue.

  Emily closed her eyes, absorbing all of his manly desires and trying hard not to let her worries about the future taint the present moment. She wrapped her hands around Dylan’s waist and pulled him close, but this time she gave him an extra, affirmative squeeze. For the first time in her life, she felt content, despite all of the uncertainties surrounding Dylan’s life. She knew that deep down he was a good man, and so she was willing to stand by and weather the storm.

  Dylan looked in Emily’s eyes. In them he could see both a young child and a mature woman. He was intrigued with her essence,
and he desired her with a passion that was unmatched with any woman that had come before her. He spread her legs wide and then caressed the sweet spot that graced his palm. She moaned, and then arched her back in ripe anticipation.

  Dylan inserted his manhood deep inside Emily’s thirsty tunnel. She craved his thick, hard manhood and she knew that he could bring her to dimensions beyond her wildest dreams. He penetrated her with a strong and guided deliberation. She cried out with sweet, short noises and Dylan continued like this until the moon came out and cast its light across the bedroom floor.

  He could see her body now, bathed in the moonlight, and it sent a pulsation of intense desire through his core. Dylan pleasured her until the sun rose, at which point he climaxed, in one long, heavy motion, and then collapsed with exhaustion on top of her silky body. Emily ran her hands down his back and sighed. It felt like this was what she had been waiting for all of her life.

  When the rooster crowed outside, Dylan slid out of Emily’s room and silently checked in on the girls as they slept. Emily wrapped herself in a robe and then followed behind him, stopping to smile as she watched the two sisters sleeping peacefully in their beds. She wrapped her arms around Dylan’s waist and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’m so happy you left England, Emily. You were meant to be with me.” He smiled and squeezed her hand.

  “But Dylan. Remember-this is just a marriage of convenience.” Emily raised her eyebrows, reminding him that only a month earlier, he had expressed no intentions of ever letting love into the equation. He nodded his head and chuckled.

  “I know, I know. Those really were my words. But Emily…” He pressed against her and then kissed her again on the lips. “How could I ever have predicted that you would have been so perfect for me? What were the odds of me actually falling in love with a perfect stranger?” He shook his head in disbelief.

  Emily’s mind wandered for a moment. She thought back to the Lancaster Textile Company, to Finn Dillmore, and to the disastrous fire that changed her life. She thought about the odd snowfall that graced England in the middle of November, and the perfect afternoon spent at Griffin café drinking peppermint mochas and eating warm cinnamon rolls. She realized that nobody, not Leila, not Martha, not even herself, could have predicted what lied in store for the rest of her life.

  She took one more look at Eisley and Anna, and then clutched Dylan’s hand in hers. He gave it a squeeze and then held it up to his face. He knew that he had finally found the peace that he wanted in his life. Even if his life was in shambles, at least he had one precious gem that couldn’t be snatched from under him. The two walked hand-in-hand down the hallway and stopped at the foot of the stairs.

  As the sun rose over Lubbock, Dylan and Emily shared a good morning kiss, one filled with hope and wonder. They kissed as the rooster crowed, as the dogs barked, and even as Eisley and Anan made their way into the hall. Anna covered her moth wither hand when she saw them.

  “Look, Eisley! Uncle Dylan and Miss Emily are kissing! They’re in love!” She grabbed her sister by the arm and they both stood in awe as Dylan and Emily expressed their love for the entire world to see.

  “Yes, girls. We are definitely in love.” Dylan gave Emily’s hand another squeeze, and then the four of them glided down the steps and into the kitchen for breakfast. Just as she was about to let the dogs outside, Emily thought she heard Leila’s voice. She paused, wondering what her cousin was doing at that moment. Then she made a pot of coffee and smiled, hopeful that she’d see her soon.

  21. Body Image

  By: Steamy Reads

  Body Image

  © SteamyReadsPublishing 2016 – All rights reserved

  Published by Steamy Reads4U

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events are purely coincidental. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

  This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return it to the seller and purchase a copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Warning

  This book contains graphic content intended for readers 18+ years old.

  If you are under 18 years old, or are not comfortable with adult content, please close this book now.

  * * *

  Prologue

  “Fat boy!”

  “Lard Ass!”

  “Blimp!”

  “Pile of shit!”

  Rick Thomas endured each insult and each sneer, though they were even more painful than the kicks and punches which landed all over his curled body.

  At least, he tried to curl his body as much as he could even though it was difficult so as to protect his vital organs, hoping that his layer of fat would serve as some soft armor and protect the rest.

  He was fat.

  He had never denied it.

  He couldn’t.

  Each time he looked at the mirror, a pair of brown eyes drowning in a lump of flesh, his cheeks, chin and neck having melded into one, stared back at him atop a dwarfed nose and puckered lips.

  He had always been obese, at least, as far as he could remember.

  He remembered his mother loved him for it at first, always pinching his chubby cheeks and squeezing him tight and watching him gobble up his food with a smile on his face.

  But then she started frowning. Maybe she thought it was a phase but it never finished.

  He just kept gaining and gaining more weight and now that he was fifteen and in high school, he weighed close to 220 pounds, which was a lot considering he stood just five feet, eight inches tall.

  As his weight increased, so did the number of jerks who picked on him and the frequency with which he was bullied.

  The fact that he was in high school made the bullying even worse and now, here he was again, on the ground, breathing in the dust, his clothes becoming even more and more dirty as he did his best to evade the blows which wouldn’t seem to stop.

  Were they ever going to stop?

  Did they think that because he was heavier than the doctors said he should be, he was not normal?

  That he wasn’t a human being, that he couldn’t feel a thing and didn’t deserve an ounce of respect?

  It didn’t matter. They were jerks. They were the real freaks of nature. And one day, he swore he would have his revenge on…

  Finally, after what seemed like hours, they stopped pounding on him.

  As Rick lowered his arms, he saw the bullies from the hockey team stepping back, making way for their captain.

  Parker Ross, the king of all jerks and bullies.

  Towering over Rick in his pristine, shiny red and white team jersey, he was almost dazzling like a god that had just descended to earth.

  His eyes were a beautiful golden brown, reminding Rick of the pile of leaves he had to rake in autumn.

  His hair was a lighter shade of brown, the longer tendrils forming a veil over his forehead up to his thick eyebrows.

  He had a slender nose and thin lips like a girl’s but a manly chin and a seasoned athlete’s body, his shoulders broad, arms and chest toned, belly taut.

  It was the kind of body he had always dreamed of having.

  Maybe that was why Rick admired Parker so much; not because he envied him, but something told him there was more to Parker Ross than met the eye.

  He had felt it for other guys before, but it was never this strong.

  Of course, he never told anyone. If he even breathed a word, he would never
make it out of high school in one piece.

  “Jesus, look at you, man,” Parker said, frowning as he knelt beside Rick. “You’re a fucking mess. Here, let me help you up.”

  Parker got to his feet and held out his hand.

  Rick held his breath and reached out.

  The last thing he remembered was Parker’s fist slamming into his nose.

  * * *

  Chapter One

  Rick Thomas stood gazing at his reflection in the mirror above his bathroom sink, his fingertips gently touching the scar that ran across the bridge of his nose, left there by Parker Ross’ class ring.

  It was only one of many scars imprinted on his body during his time in high school, yet it was the one that constantly reminded him of the worst beating of his life. And unfortunately, of the first guy he was seriously attracted to.

  Indeed, each time he saw the scar he thought of Parker, wondering where he was, what he had become.

  Sometimes, he even dreamed of Parker, but rather than dreaming of the violence, he dreamt of passion and desire, of a love that would never be. Parker Ross’ memory felt like a curse he could never shake.

  Still, Rick tried his best to forget those days. They were in the past, after all.

  Way past.

  Almost twenty years had passed since that fateful day and he had changed -- a lot.

  For starters, he was no longer obese.

  In fact, he was now a top fitness trainer who stood six foot two and weighed 230 pounds, with a toned body and six-pack abs.