Asha King

by Wild Horses

  Would he?

  She tried to quell the nervousness in her stomach as she stepped back into the rain and toward the other building. She’d be late for their “appointment”—maybe that would give her an opportunity to ask him, point blank, if he was seeing anyone else. Her heart sank hard at the thought, but no amount of fun was worth getting entangled in that kind of bullshit.

  She dashed onto the porch and checked the door—it was open. Maybe he was already waiting for her. The lights were off and the room was swathed in shadows, the dark gray day making it seem almost night. Dani pushed off her hood and slipped through the curtain hiding the stairs.

  The steps creaked under her cowboy boots—which she was loath to admit, but actually were comfortable now. She knocked on the closed door at the top but no one answered, so she tried the knob; it was open.

  Adam’s place was dark like the downstairs, so she hit the switch on the wall to her left and bulbs sparked to life overhead. Without his naked presence this time, she allowed herself a leisurely gaze around the large room. The floors were worn wood faded gray, and walls white painted wood paneling. The place had a lived in feel—not a speck of dust on any surface though shelves of books were in slight disarray, dishes washed and sitting in the drying rack, floor swept. Her boots made decisive clicks on the hardwood with each step and she raked her gaze around, taking in everything.

  It was a framed photo on the dresser that got her attention. Small, four-by-six maybe, of a smiling white woman with dark hair. Dani moved closer to get a better look at the face behind the silver frame and thankfully found it at least wasn’t Carlee. The woman’s upper torso could be seen, and it looked like someone had his arm around her; the photo was awkwardly cropped, as if someone had been cut out.

  Old girlfriend, maybe? Couldn’t be a current one if Carlee had her eye on him so obviously. Perhaps she could ask Dewey later. Or even Gus.

  And then she remembered Dewey’s comment about some trauma in adulthood. Did his wife, like, die or something? She shivered at the thought and hoped nothing so horrible happened to him.

  She glanced around for another picture or something that might better explain the mysterious woman. And then it wasn’t a sound that told her he was there; no, it was a feeling. A prickle up her spine, the air charged with awareness. Dani glanced over her shoulder to see Adam in the doorway, taking up the space with his height and broad shoulders.

  “I was just—”

  Adam closed and locked the door behind him. “You’re late.”

  “Had to help Carlee for a minute. Got talking.” She waited, but his expression didn’t change at all—didn’t faze him. So maybe that situation was one-sided?

  He didn’t give her the opportunity to ask. “Get undressed.”

  Dani blinked. “What?”

  He cocked a brow. Didn’t move. “I won. My rules. Take. Off. Your. Clothes.”

  Shivers danced over her skin and heat pooled between her legs.

  Not a big deal—I’ve stripped for a boyfriend before. And I did last night. But then usually stripping in front of a lover was a way to exert control—not be controlled.

  A nervous thrill tickled her—regardless, she liked this game. She eased her hoodie off first and cast it on the dresser, over the photo she’d been nosing around. Next she slipped off her boots, socks. She grasped the hem of her tank top and eased it up. Perhaps, she thought, she could’ve been doing it seductively, but then he hadn’t asked her to. If he wanted to be alpha, he’d have to get real specific about things.

  “That’s good,” he interrupted right when she reached for the button of her jeans.

  Dani waited, hands loosely at her side, struggling to breathe normally. The demi-cups of her bra thrust her heavy breasts high and she was acutely aware of her nipples hardening under his steady gaze.

  “Lie on the bed.”

  As she sat down, she realized with a nervous feeling that they’d never set out any rules. Last night, the agreement was no touching and no sex. Now, she had no idea what was on the table and what was off.

  Or if anything is actually off.

  Dani settled down on her back, the foam mattress reaching up to hug her, comforter soft beneath her. Deep, calming breaths weren’t so calming after all and her heart hammered erratically against her ribcage.

  Adam stepped closer, each thud of his feet on the floor sending a tremor to her marrow. “Grab the headboard.”

  Oh, shit. She forced her hands up, over her head, noticing the way it seemed to extend her torso and thrust her breasts up. She locked her fingers around the cool, wrought iron bars as he stepped closer—

  And produced an old black tie from the top dresser drawer.

  Immediately she tensed. “Cooper—”

  He paused just above her, gazing down with dark blue eyes that seemed to peer right through her. “Do you want to back out?”

  She licked her dry lips. “No.”

  “Do you trust me?”

  Dani grinned wickedly. “Not in the least bit.”

  A sexy half-smile curved the corners of his lips. He looped the silk around her wrists then around the bars of the bed, so she could let go but still be bound. It rubbed her skin but not painfully, silk smooth and loose enough that there was some give—he clearly didn’t intend to hurt her.

  But she was definitely bound to his bed.

  Arousal flushed her skin. She waited for more bindings, but they never came. Adam peeled his T-shirt off and threw it aside, then the bed dipped under his weight as climbed onto the foot of it.

  She hissed in a breath as he unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, then peeled them down her legs in one swift movement. Chill air touched her bare legs, goose bumps rising fast and hard.

  His gaze dragged over her with a near physical force, studying her appreciatively. His fingers skimmed her ankles. “Spread your legs.”

  The commands sent heat straight into her pussy. She immediately followed his instructions, letting her thighs fall apart.

  Adam leaned down, settling on his stomach between her legs. Her thighs brushed the tops of his shoulders and he gazed up at her, giving a long, hot look before his mouth descended in an open mouthed kiss against her panty-covered slit.

  Dani moaned, hips rising to meet him. He drew his lips languidly over her mound, grazing her clit and sending her back arching in ecstasy. She needed more—really needed him to peel down her panties and taste her, but he abruptly pulled back.

  She blinked, gazed at him through lust-hazed eyes. “Um—”

  With a cocky grin, he climbed up her body, settling his hips between her thighs and putting her chest at eyelevel. His fingers wrapped around her bra and lifted the underwire cups up and over, letting her breasts tumble free as he drew the bra over her head to tangle about her bound wrists. Both hands came down to touch her, thumbs flicking over her nipples.

  She braced her feet on the bed and lifted her hips, desperate to feel some contact, but he moved out of reach.

  “I will tie your ankles if I have to,” he said in a husky voice.

  Dani all but growled as she tried to settle back down. “I want you. I have trouble with prolonging things.”

  “You want what?” His eyebrows rose in question, daring her.

  Daring her to say it. Daring her to beg. Just like she thought he would. “You. I want you to lick me until I come.”

  “Hmm.” He shifted like he was considering it, then returned his attention to her breasts. “Not yet.”

  She started to let out a frustrated noise when his mouth locked on her right nipple and she forgot precisely what she was whining about. His tongue darted back and forth, teasing it to a hardened, ultra-sensitive peak. Teeth grazed her flesh next and white hot stars played behind her eyes as she let out a pleasured cry. His hand worked her left breast, molding, massaging, wringing another moan from her lips.

  Dani flexed her fingers, hating the bindings—she wanted to reach for him, touch him. Run her fingers back through hi
s hair, drag her nails over his skin, flip him on his back and trace his body with her lips. She pulled on the bindings but they didn’t budge and the slack wasn’t enough that she could work her hands free.

  “Adam,” she managed with a breathy gasp. She forced her lower half to remain still but it was a losing battle—her hips wanted to rise, wanted to feel how hard he was, wanted some relief against the persist thrum of craving between her legs.

  He let her nipple pop free of her lips and cool air brushed her skin, hardening it further. “Yes?”

  “Please.”

  “Please?”

  His eyes never left hers, not for a moment, watching her pant and writhe, taking in her sudden groan when his mouth captured her left nipple and sucked hard.

  “Please...” She arched, cried out. “Please...I need you. Lick me, finger me, fuck me—I don’t care what, I just need you to touch me.”

  “You’re impatient, princess.”

  “This surprises you?”

  He moved up her body, this time so their noses touched. “Not particularly.” He dipped his face down to give her a sudden hot kiss, swallowing her moan. The kiss melted her bones, blasting her body with endorphins. His cock was thick and hard, apparent through his jeans and pressed right into the apex of her thighs. She almost rescinded what she’d said and begged him to fuck her then and there, when he skimmed down her body and pulled down her panties in one swift movement, and gave her clit a firm lick.

  Her whole body trembled at the contact. His tongue moved lower, parting her yearning folds. Her hips moved of their own accord, rising to meet his mouth again. She felt his fingers there, circling her, then one thrust forward, easily sliding inside her. It moved out and then in again, joined by a second.

  Oh, but she wanted more. She wanted the full length of him, sheathed in her, bringing her to the brink. “I changed my mind,” she whispered. “Take off your pants. Please—”

  But his fingers continued pumping a steady rhythm. “No condoms and I didn’t have time to run to the store today.”

  That didn’t make a lick of sense, him not being prepared, but she didn’t question it—was far too busy to wonder.

  “So unless you...?”

  Coming to a quarter horse farm with a box of Trojans wasn’t something that had occurred to her, so she shook her head.

  “I’ll have to keep you otherwise engaged, then.” He gave her clit another rough lick, following the rhythm of his fingers, as she moved urgently against him.

  Just as the tidal wave in her built, he backed off, slowing his thrusting and releasing her clit until she came down with a ragged, shuddering breath. He gave her a moment of frustrated whines and tugs on the tie before he started up again.

  She dug her heels into the bed. “Don’t stop,” she gasped.

  And this time he didn’t. His tongue flicked firmly over her clit, fingers thrusting and filling her, driving her harder, faster, closer to the edge. She took a huge, sudden breath, back arching from the bed, and cried out as waves of pleasure crashed through her. Her pussy squeezed at his fingers, contracting as her orgasm went on and on in extended bliss.

  Eventually she went still and he eased back, trailing kisses along her inner thighs. Sweat beaded on her forehead, between her breasts. She panted hard, willing her heart to slow, though it was a struggle. Delightful warmth ran through her and she let out a contented sigh.

  Adam climbed up the bed, stretching out with her, and reached for the tie. A jerk of the loop and it fell open, releasing her.

  She eyed the former knot as she shucked off the straps of her bra, lowered her arms, and rubbed at her wrists. “Tie up a lot of girls?”

  “Horses. Knots are multipurpose.” His arm came around her and she sank into him, pressing their naked chests together. Her lips found his in another searing, fierce kiss.

  “So that seemed less like a prize for you than it was a prize for me,” Dani said as she settled against him.

  “Then you don’t know much about men, honey.”

  “I’ll have you know, I worked in a sex shop for a few months before I was fired for punching someone—”

  “Why am I not surprised you punched someone?”

  “He was sexually harassing me. Anyway, the point is, I know plenty.”

  “Then at least not this one.”

  That was true. In fact, as a blush rolled up her cheeks, she realized she was in a rather compromising position with a man she didn’t know well at all. She knew his character, yes—or felt that she did. But the details of his life? None at all.

  Like who the woman in the picture on the dresser was.

  She thrust those questions from her mind and focused on the body next to hers, warm and likely quite still aroused himself. “Even if that was your prize,” her hand drifted over his chest, his abs, and lingered at the button of his jeans, “surely there’s something else you have in mind.”

  He groaned when her fingers moved down, molding over his thick erection. A happy thrill went through her at his reaction. Adam’s mouth found hers, pulling her into another kiss, and fresh heat rushed through her naked body at the contact.

  There was a sudden loud knock on the door. “Adam?”

  Dani’s heart leapt into her throat. They broke apart to look at the door, but it was locked and Dewey didn’t intrude.

  Adam sighed and flopped back at on the bed, his hand thrown over his eyes. “What?”

  “Um...” The floor creaked just outside the door. “Gus was looking for you. Angela sent over the schedule for camp tomorrow and the list of participants, and he wants you to double check the horse equipment for tomorrow. And he needs to talk to Dani—have you seen her?”

  Because she had a slightly sadistic streak in her, Dani leaned forward and pressed her lips to his nipple, her tongue darting out to flick across the tip.

  A groan he tried to suppress rumbled his chest and she grinned at his scolding look.

  “She was talking to Carlee earlier—the hell if I know. I was taking a nap—tell Gus I’ll be there in a bit.”

  “Okey-dokey,” Dewey muttered and moments later the stairs creaked with his retreat.

  Adam immediately rolled her on her back, pinning her beneath him, and gazed down into her eyes. “That wasn’t funny.”

  “It was a little bit funny.”

  Sunday

  NEW POST: Draft Mode

  Tomorrow Riding Camp starts. As you’ll recall from my blog posts last year, when I worked as a clown and did that child’s birthday party...it didn’t go well. Children are great when they’re, like, at a distance. Up close, it’s all poking holes in balloons with plastic forks, peeing on my knee, and asking me, “What does oral sex mean?”

  Given my activities yesterday, I’m sure that question will leave me blushing, so I’m hoping these kids don’t ask. [Note to self: Edit out the sex stuff before publishing this entry.]

  I’m to stay to the side—and out of the way—while the kids have riding lessons in the morning. Then I get to do crafts with them.

  I hope I’m not required to make balloon animals.

  Chapter Eleven

  Danyiah had the list of participant names and ran through attendance early in the morning as the kids arrived at nine. There were forms to check for signatures, emergency contact info to go over, and the like. Ten kids in the morning, ten in the afternoon—it didn’t seem so bad, but then the day was still young.

  Angela Masters, Dani immediately didn’t like. She was perhaps forty or so, a horse friend of Gus’s, and gave Dani a once over upon meeting her with a skeptical roll of her eyes and insistence that she stick to paperwork and nothing with the horses.

  Dani’s temper burned hotly—what it was about her that, even after a week, screamed “newbie”, she didn’t know. A bark of annoyance was about to leave her lips, when she felt Adam’s hand on her shoulder, as if he anticipated things were about to get ugly.

  Already, he knew her well.

  He hadn’t volunte
ered any info about them to anyone and any displays of affection were confined to private lip locks away from prying eyes, so she assumed things would stay a secret for a while. Why, she couldn’t say, and still didn’t want to ask. Maybe it wasn’t allowed, him being her boss and all, even though she wasn’t really working in a formal capacity.

  She still didn’t want to think about it.

  Carlee cheerfully greeted the kids as the sun climbed high and heated the ranch swiftly. A half hour riding lesson, then a lesson on proper horse care and safety, and then a trail ride. Dani would be freaked out about the possibility herself of heading outside the confines of the outdoor arena, but then apparently most of the kids were seasoned professionals and those who weren’t would be put on the big, relaxed older horses who knew to just follow the trail. Besides, kids were fearless.

  Dani zoned in and out during the horse lessons—most of it was stuff Adam had already told her at one point or another—then the kids had their snacks and it was trail ride time.

  Angela sent Dani off to saddle the horses with a pair of kids while Carlee and she took the others.

  “And try not to spook them,” Angela called in parting.

  I am going to spook you with a riding crop to the back of your head, you witch.

  Of course, Dani smiled at her two charges—both around ten, a boy and a girl. “Let’s get those horses saddled, shall we?” The white board by the barn had the list of kids and horses they’d be riding. She scanned it and realized belatedly neither child had a name tag. “So who are you guys?”

  The boy looked at her with big brown eyes that rolled dramatically. “Jayden and Hailey.”

  “Right.” Jayden was on a draft cross named Mr. Sunshine and Hailey on a mare named Belle. Each horse had its own tack, so she directed the kids to pick up what they could and cart things over while she got the horses from the stalls.

  Mr. Sunshine moved easily. Belle caused her some issues, yanking back on the lead when Dani tried to pull it. With a frustrated sigh, she glanced around the barn for a treat and spotted Sweet Pea in a stall with a bunch of hay.