“Same way you find a horse,” Chad replied. “You just look. I found Mickey here in a shelter. Too damn smart for his owners, but smart works for me. If things work out we’ll go find you a pup, and I’m sure Mickey will be glad to help teach him, or her as the case may be.”
“That’s a plan,” she laughed.
“I need to run, but why don’t you come out to the ranch next week and we’ll have a sit down.”
“Sounds great. Thanks Chad. Bye Marty.”
“Bye Mandy.”
“I think you might be right about this, boss. She sparkles,” Marty declared.
“Yep, Miss Personality. The lady has something special, and speakin’ of special,” Chad remarked, lowering his voice, “how are things goin’ with Hannah?”
Marty let out a grunt and nodded his head thoughtfully.
“I’d say she’s startin’ to learn something about consequences,” he declared.
“Runnin’ around with a red backside right now?” Chad asked.
“Yep, and when I see her sittin’ without squirmin’ I’ll freshen it up.”
“It was a good idea you had,” Chad remarked. “I hope it ends the way you want.”
“It’s only been a day, but I’m kinda optimistic.”
“If you need any support, or to talk, or whatever, you know I’m around,” Chad offered.
“Thanks, Chad. Means a lot.”
“You bet,” Chad smiled. “I’d better get on my show clothes. Back in a few.”
He walked across to the trailer that served as his dressing room, and after locking the door behind him, flopped down on the couch to pull off his boots, McTavish immediately hopping up next to him.
“You know, Mickey,” he said softly, stroking him, “I hope things with Cassie end the way I want them to as well, though I’m still not sure what that is. Do you know?”
Mickey’s paw touched his arm, his bright, smart, eyes staring up at him, and Chad was sure he heard the dog talk.
You sure as heck don’t need me to tell you that. You want her, period.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Cassie arrived at the back entrance of the exhibition arena, gave the guard her name, and he ushered her to a seat. As she settled into the ringside chair, delighted to be so close to the action, she glanced over her shoulder. Bailey and Captain, ears pricked, were standing ready for their time in the spotlight, and Chad, positioned between them, had changed into a white sparkly show shirt and a pair of light blue jeans. She was about to wave when she saw a young woman approach him, a tall, slender, stunningly attractive girl with long black hair, dressed in a white, rhinestone studded shirt and pants. Cassie watched the girl pet the horses, smile and chat for a minute, then kiss Chad on the cheek.
Her stomach churned.
It churned and danced and churned some more, and she felt her teeth lock together, her jaw almost frozen in place.
He has a million fans. It’s no big deal. You’re going to be staying with him tonight. Don’t be so insecure. Relax.
As if on cue the lights dimmed, the noisy audience began to settle, and turning back to face the arena, she shook herself, determined to enjoy the show.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE WELCOME CHAD DOUGLAS, AND HIS OWNERS, BAILEY, CAPTAIN AND McTAVISH.
The spectators laughed at the introduction, and in spite of feeling unsettled, Cassie found herself laughing along with them. Moments later, to an uplifting western song she’d never heard, Chad jogged into the ring with Bailey and Captain following behind him. She instantly saw the horses were wearing no tack of any kind, and to her astonishment, Mickey was standing on Bailey’s back, sporting a huge dog smile.
Chad stopped in the center of the ring, and Bailey immediately began to circle around him, with Captain following. Mickey barked, and the horses broke into a trot, drawing a round of applause from the delighted audience. When Mickey barked twice and the horses began to canter, Cassie began to worry that Mickey might fall off, and she could see others around her having the same concern. A moment later their worry turned into a collective gasp, as the brilliant little dog leapt off Bailey’s back into Chad’s arms. The unexpected, spectacular stunt brought the crowd to its feet, and as if by magic, the two horses stopped and bowed, as did Mickey, jumping from Chad’s arms on to the ground, joining them.
It was an unforgettable opening to forty-five minutes of heart-stopping and hilarious entertainment. Cassie was stunned by Chad’s athletic ability and horsemanship, and when he was simultaneously standing on both horses, a foot on the back of each, controlling them with nothing but a long wand in each hand, her heart was in her mouth.
But it was the finale that stole the show.
Using a toy gun, Chad pretended to shoot Bailey and McTavish. Bailey dropped to the ground, flopping out his tongue, and McTavish fell next to him, landing so they were head to head. When Chad gave them the okay to stand up, McTavish climbed on to Bailey’s back as the horse rose to his feet, and rode him out of the arena. The crowd was on its feet, and moments later, Chad, riding Bailey and carrying McTavish, with Captain beside them, galloped into the ring, circled the arena, and galloped out, signaling the end of the show.
As the audience dispersed, and Cassie made her way backstage, she saw Marty watching over the horses.
“Hi Marty, I’m Cassie, I don’t think we officially met,” she smiled.
“Good to meet you,” he smiled. “Did you enjoy the show?”
“Completely blew me away. I’ve never seen anything like it,” she declared. “Do you know where Chad went?”
“He’s in that trailer gettin’ changed.”
“Do you know if he’ll be very long? I have to get back. I have a class in about thirty minutes and I have to-”
“I’m comin’ along,” Chad interrupted, stepping from the makeshift dressing room. “Marty, why don’t you take Bailey and Captain back home, and bring the two-horse back here in about an hour.”
“Sure thing,” he replied. “Nice to meet you, Cassie.”
“You too.”
“Chad, how do you train horses to do that? I’ve never seen anything like it,” she asked, as they began walking.
“Just keep workin’ at it. Like I said before, you gotta put in the time,” he remarked.
“There’s more to it than that,” she commented.
“A bit. I’ll teach you some things, but it doesn’t happen overnight.”
“Like jumping I guess,” she said thoughtfully.
“Yep, like jumpin’.”
“Speaking of which, I need to get on Dominic and warm up. The next class is over fences.”
“How’s the finger feelin’?”
“It’s good. I barely feel it now.”
“Maybe we’ll take the tape of later, see how it’s doin’”
“That would great,” she replied.
Moving through the grounds, they made their way across the street to the stable where the horses were housed, and Cassie found Dominic already tacked up and ready to mount.
“I guess I got here too late to do it myself,” she mumbled.
“You’ll get it together,” Chad assured her. “At least you understand it now.”
“I do, I really do,” she replied, looking up at him.
Twenty minutes later, Chad, with Mickey at his side, was standing at the fence line with Randy, watching Cassie ride a perfect round. They both knew it was a winning performance, and a short time later, as she accepted the blue ribbon and the gleaming trophy, Chad felt his heart swell. Staring down at his dog, he muttered,
“I guess you were right buddy.”
The moment she left the show ring, she handed her prizes to Randy, dismounted, and immediately unbuckled Dominic’s girth, stroked his neck, sang his praises, and waved off the waiting groom. Chad gave her a positive wink.
“Hey Randy, I can take these for our champion here,” Chad offered. “I’m sure you have places to be.”
“Thank you, Chad,” Randy sighed. �
��I certainly do. I have someone else showing in another class. Cassie, great job, I’ll see you tomorrow. Paul, come with me please.”
As he hurried away, Randy looked back over his shoulder.
I hope Chad sticks around. I really like this new Cassie.
Ambling towards the stables, Chad thought about the last time he’d had a woman in his life that was more than just a friend with benefits. It had been years since he’d been romantically involved, and that relationship had ended badly. At the time he’d been constantly touring, and the lady in question simply couldn’t handle his constant absences. He’d understood, but the understanding hadn’t made it any easier.
When they arrived at the stables, Marty was already there, waiting with the smaller trailer, and fifteen minutes later, Dominic was loaded up and Marty was moving slowly out of the stable yard, as Cassie and Chad followed in Cassie’s rental, her suitcase stowed in the trunk. As they passed the show grounds, Cassie saw a large sign, and on the front was the beautiful woman she’d seen with Chad just before his performance.
Huh, Mandy Parsons. So she’s a trick rider. I guess it makes sense they’d know each other.
“What do you have on tap tomorrow, Cassie?” Chad asked, as they followed the truck and trailer on to the main road.
“Three hunter classes with Rembrandt, one late in the morning and two in the afternoon,” Cassie replied.
So we could sleep in together, he thought, then caught himself. Whoa, steady on there cowboy.
The uninvited assumption startled him, and frowning, he turned his attention to McTavish, sitting in the back seat.
“You okay back there buddy?”
“He stole the show,” Cassie laughed. “When you first came into the ring and he jumped off Bailey’s back, he gave everyone a heart attack.”
“He’s something special,” Chad said fondly.
“Chad, after we get cleaned up, do you think we can return to that hill and watch the lake turn gold again?”
“Sure,” he replied. “We could take up some food and wine, make it a sunset picnic.”
“That’s a fantastic idea,” she smiled.
“But first you need to walk Dominic over to the round pen and let him have a big roll in the sand.”
“Oh, of course,” she replied.
“Then take him back into the barn and clean him up, and visit with your other two. The boys will have brought them in by now.”
“My goodness,” she sighed. “I absolutely will.”
And she did, and as Chad predicted, Dominic rolled in the soft sand several times before jumping to his feet and shaking off the dust. A little while later, while Cassie was brushing him off and Chad was checking on Bailey and Captain, Chad kept watching her, enjoying the sight. Though she rode her horses and saw them every day, the intimate relationship she was about to develop would be something unique, something she would come to treasure.
Once the horses were blanketed and given some extra feed, they hurried back to the house to shower and change and head up to the knoll overlooking the lake.
The air was cool, almost chilly, and before showering, Chad threw some blankets in the back of his Range Rover, and returning to the kitchen, microwaved some tomato soup. Pouring it into a thermos, he placed it, along with some bread, cheese and a bottle of Cabernet, into a wicker basket that contained all the accessories they would need.
A few minutes later, finally standing under the steaming water, the dust and dirt of the busy afternoon being washed away, he allowed his mind to wander.
Cassie wasn’t typical of the type of girl he dated. Mandy Parsons was more his type; an unspoiled, home spun, country girl, with old-fashioned values. How Cassie had found her way into his heart he simply couldn’t comprehend, but she had, and there was no denying the growing intensity of his feelings for her.
She lives six hours away, what are you doing? he asked himself as he toweled off.
Dunno, but it’s a whole lot easier to go with the flow of the river than row against it.
Carrying the thought with him, he dressed quickly, and on an impulse pulled a condom from his bedside table and stuffed it into his pocket.
What are you plannin’ fella? Nothin’. Just in case.
Walking out into the kitchen he found her waiting, dressed in a heavy, cream, cable-knit sweater and tight, dark blue jeans, her long honey streaked hair tumbling around her shoulders, looking so delectable he wanted to swoop her up and carry her to his bed right there and then.
“Hi Chad. You look so handsome in that sweater,” she smiled, admiring the expensive, forest green cashmere that graced his gorgeously muscled torso.
“Thanks, Cassie. You cleaned up pretty good yourself,” he grinned. “We best get goin’. I think we’ll just make it.”
Grabbing the hamper with one hand, and wrapping his fingers around hers with the other, he walked quickly to the garage.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The sun had almost traversed the lake, and as it began to sink behind the hill, Chad retrieved the blankets from his car. Most of the soup, bread and cheese had been consumed, and the bottle of wine was almost empty. Though her skin was cold beneath her thick sweater, Cassie barely noticed, and when Chad returned with blankets in hand, wrapping them around her and cuddling close, she yawned happily, sinking into his enveloping warmth.
“I love it up here,” she murmured.
“First time I came up here I decided it was where I wanted to build my home,” Chad remarked. “I wanna turn the ranch house into accommodations for the people who come here to train. Be so much better for them than stayin’ in town.”
“It would!” Cassie declared. “What’s the holdup?”
“Time. I have two things I need to do before I can devote my attention to it. I’m hands on, in case you hadn’t noticed,” he smiled, winking at her.
“I can honestly say that is one thing that has not escaped my attention,” she laughed. “What are the two things?”
“One is the women’s clothin’ line I wanna develop. I’ve stuck to menswear, mainly ‘cos I know it, but I wanna expand. I get letters all the time from women sayin’ they’re wearin’ their husband’s shirts, and why don’t I make clothes for them?”
“Hmmm. I can understand why. I’d borrow yours if you’d let me,” she giggled.
“I’ve been rackin’ my brains for some kind of logo, something unique. Horse related but unique. I want something that will make a woman sigh.”
Your gorgeous eyes would do that!
“And the other reason?”
“I need to stop tourin’. I have three shows left this year, and I’m not inclined to do any of them, but they open people’s eyes, and ultimately that makes a difference in the lives of their horses. The show motivates them to buy a book, or watch a DVD, and then they start learnin’.”
“Like me,” she sighed.
“Yep, like you,” he said gently, hugging her. “My biggest challenge is makin’ people understand that it’s not one size fits all.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Take Shelby, she’s a real sensitive thoroughbred, and you have to be careful. Too strong, too aggressive, and she won’t respond well. Your big boy, Dominic, he’s made of tougher stuff, but he’s real sensible. They’re all different, they all have their quirks, and it takes a long time to learn my methods and implement them effectively.”
“I feel guilty that I’ve been so ignorant for so long,” she muttered.
“No place for guilt. I’m just real impressed that you’re so open to learnin’ about my methods.”
“Who wouldn’t be?” she declared, staring up at him.
He stared back, and as the flirtatious breeze unexpectedly settled, a quiet calm wrapped around them. The sun had long since given way to the inky darkness with its pinpricks of light, and after running his fingertips along the side of her face for just a moment, Chad’s lips buried themselves in hers.
Had she wanted to stop th
e rush of passion, had there been any part of her that wanted to step back, it would not have mattered. Her heart, thumping in her ears, and the unstoppable heat firing between her legs, swept her forward.
“Chad, please, I want you so much,” she gasped, breaking away and gazing up at him.
Her pleading, sparkling eyes sank into his soul, and gripping her star-kissed hair, he gently guided her on to her back.
“Cassie,” he mumbled, “I’m not doin’ this lightly.”
“Neither am I,” she sighed.
Sliding his hand under her thick, cable knit sweater, he moved it slowly up and over her head. The chilly air instantly puckered the red-rose nipples topping her full, luscious breasts, and lowering his head, he licked and sucked, his attention growing ever more heated as her writhing body and cries of pleasure begged for more. Traveling his tongue down her skin, his nimble cowboy hands deftly unzipped her jeans, and as he slid them down her legs, he saw her urgently kick off the mules on her feet.
“Easy girl,” he crooned, attempting to calm her impatient squirming.
“I can’t help it,” she confessed, “I’ve never felt like this.”
In spite of her previous liaisons, some with artful lovers who had expertly guided her to delicious orgasms, the passionate ardor she was experiencing was taking her breath away. The brash cowboy who had dared put her over his knee less than an hour after their meeting, had turned into a man she could never have imagined.
Kneeling up, he hurriedly undressed, and happily naked, pulled the protective blankets around them, laying his body over hers.
“I hate myself for asking you this, but I have to,” she whispered, “and feel free to lie.”
“No lyin’, that’s a rule, remember?” he whispered back.
“Shit, why do these thoughts come into my head?”
“You cuss one more time, young lady, and I’ll have to spank that butt again,” he breathed, kissing her neck.
The threat sent a wave of butterflies swarming through her belly, and she lifted her pelvis, pressing herself against his hungry cock.
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