Cuffed & Claimed

by Lori King

  After that, there was no more speaking. His hands slid down her sides to the zipper on her slacks, and she could only focus on the there and then. She tried not to feel self-conscious as her pants slid over her hips and hit the floor. Colby wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t into her, whatever her shape. When he hissed out a breath and dropped to his knees in front of her, she realized had nothing to worry about.

  He pressed an open-mouthed kiss to her belly button and skimmed his palms up and down the outer curve of her hips. “Perfect. Have I told you that yet? You’ve got the perfect pin-up body. All curves and legs, and fuck, those tits.”

  Sucking one nipple into his mouth, he nipped it and released it again with a loud pop when she squealed. Gently, he nudged her thighs further apart and pressed his face to the front of her pale yellow panties. They were cotton bikinis, nothing special, but the way he looked at them they could have been made of diamonds and gemstones.

  One thick finger toyed with the edge, teasing until she clutched his head, just to stay standing. “Colby, please.”

  * * *

  The pleasure Colby felt at that moment was something he’d never forget in a million years. If she’d handed him the keys to heaven’s gates, he wouldn’t have been happier. She wanted him. Maybe it was just for the moment, but it was something.

  He grabbed her knees, and pressed against the backs so her legs buckled and she fell backward onto the bed with a loud cry. While she was still stunned, he divested her of her cute panties and focused on the gates of heaven he craved so badly.

  Her pussy was covered with copper-colored curls that matched the hair on her head. She kept it neatly trimmed into a runway that led to the most beautiful pink-pearl pussy he’d ever laid eyes on. At the top, her clit poked its head out as if it reached for him, and just below, her passage clenched on air as it beckoned him inside. He was going to be lucky if he kept from shooting his load in his jeans while she rode his face.

  Without giving her time to protest, he buried his face between her thighs, passionately kissing her pussy. He took the time to taste her everywhere, sucking and licking every inch of skin until she was writhing on the bed almost in agony from her need to come.

  He knew how big his cock was, and the last thing he wanted was to hurt her, so he eased a finger into her tight tunnel, testing her. Instantly, her body clamped down on his invading digit, and she shrieked with pleasure as an orgasm rocked through her. With his finger doing the work, he lifted his head so he could watch as she came.

  Cheeks flushed pink, the sunburst continued to spread down her chest to her nipples. Her eyes were closed, head was thrown back, hair askew on the bed, but it was her mouth that really grabbed his attention. It was open in a tight O that looked like a cross between pleasure and pain. His dick thumped his zipper as he imagined those lush lips wrapped around it.

  Without another word, he got to his feet and pulled a condom out of his billfold, tossing it onto the bed next to her. His jeans landed in a pile at the foot of the bed, followed quickly by his jockey shorts, and as Elizabeth came out of her climax coma, he stroked his hand over his thick erection.

  Her eyes widened, and seeing her lick her lips, made his balls draw tight. “Do you want me to…” She gestured to his cock, and her tongue darted out in invitation.

  “Oh, Bethie, baby, I want that for sure, but not now. I need to be inside you now.” Kneeling on the edge of the bed between her spread thighs, he rolled the condom over his cock and stroked it once again because she seemed to enjoy watching.

  With movements slower and gentler than even he thought himself capable of, he ran the head of his dick up and down her dripping slit, gathering the moisture. Her body still clenched and unclenched on open air, so he filled her with his finger once more, this time focused on preparation instead of pleasure.

  After a moment, he slid a second finger inside and carefully scissored them to stretch her unused muscles. When she tensed, he bent and sucked her nipple into his mouth to distract her. Before long, his two fingers moved smoothly in and out of her, and he lined his cock up with her opening and pressed forward.

  Elizabeth’s eyes rolled up into her head as the tip of his cock entered her, and her mouth opened in that sexy O again, as she gasped for air. Holding onto his control by the barest of threads, he froze after just a couple of inches inside her and let her muscles accommodate him.

  When she relaxed, he released his grip on his cock and braced both hands near her shoulders. His hips continued the forward motion that brought him deeper into her recesses. The further he sank, the better her reaction. Her head tossed, and her hands came up under his arms to clutch at his lower back. Nails scratched into his skin, as she tried to pull him deeper.

  He didn’t change his speed, even with her clawing at him. He wanted her to remember this moment always, because he knew he’d never forget it. Possessing Elizabeth was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. It was raw and real. When his balls reached the moisture between her thighs, and his cock head hit her cervix, he let some of his weight down onto her and made the smallest of thrusts with his hips.

  “Oh, my God!” she gasped, her head lifting and then slamming back down on the mattress. He made the move again, and she cried out, “Yes! More, please Colby!”

  The words were music to his ears. She was there. On the same precipice where he was. They were together as they rode the waves of pleasure. Keeping his movements small and precise, he ground his pelvic bone at a downward angle so that it rubbed her clit, pushing her harder. He liked a good fast fuck usually, but this first time with Elizabeth was special, and he wanted her to experience the best orgasm of her life.

  She squirmed beneath him, her heels pressed into the back of his thighs, and her hands gripped his back, then his forearms, and then his biceps, as if she was so lost in passion she couldn’t figure out where she was.

  It was perfect.

  When her body began to tense and clench down on him, he lifted up and gave her a series of hard thrusts in the direction of her G-spot.

  Her screams combined with his own orgasmic cry and echoed off the walls permanently branded into his brain. It was the best moment of his life, and he planned on doing it again and again until she realized she couldn’t be without him, because right there at that moment, he knew he could never be without her again.

  5

  Several days later…

  * * *

  “You and Elizabeth? Really?” Bran stared at Colby in disbelief. “Why would you ask her to do that?”

  “I didn’t. She asked me. She doesn’t want a serious relationship. She just wants the big D,” Colby said crudely, shrugging his broad shoulders and slamming his locker shut. He didn’t like the way it was happening either, but Elizabeth Newcomer had made it very clear she wanted nothing more than his body. For now, he had nothing more to give, so it was the ideal solution.

  “She deserves better than that. Surely you aren’t going to just use her and—”

  “Stop, Bran. We’re friends, but I’m not asking for your permission or your blessing. Beth and I are both adults. I’ve been trying to get her attention for months, and now that I have it, I’m going to enjoy it. Even if we only spend time together in bed.” Colby finished buttoning his uniform shirt and pushed his hat on top of his head. “Don’t you have a woman of your own to get home to? Why are you so worried about what I do with my time?”

  “I just don’t want to see either of you get hurt,” Bran said, crossing his arms. “She was the first one from our graduating class to get married. Don’t tell me that girl doesn’t do serious.”

  “First to get married and first to get divorced. I don’t know details, but I get the feeling her ex did a number on her. She doesn’t want serious. Period. And honestly, right now, I don’t have time for serious. Mama is getting worse, and it’s getting harder to leave her alone for any amount of time. Neither Abby nor I make enough to put her in a home like she needs, so we just do our best. Think o
f it this way; I need a stress reliever, and Beth has volunteered for the position. I’m not stupid enough to look a gift horse in the mouth.” Colby pushed by his boss and best friend and headed out of the locker room to collect his duty chart for the day.

  For a few moments all was quiet, so he thought Bran had stayed in the locker room. It wasn’t until he turned around to go out to his truck, that he saw the other man leaning against the doorjamb, watching him closely.

  “What the hell? Are you jealous? You hoping to get a piece of her ass before anyone else laid claim?” Colby covered his feelings with jokes. The disappointment in Bran’s eyes his choice only reflected in his own self-disgust. Beth deserved so much more than he could give her.

  “Just promise me you’ll be careful,” Bran said softly. “She might say she’s ready, but I think her heart is still fragile.”

  Colby swallowed hard. Bran wasn’t saying anything he hadn’t told himself, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear. Before he could continue the conversation, the radio in the office crackled, and Maci called out, “Sheriff? Bran? You still here?”

  “Yeah, Maci, I’m still here.” Bran turned and headed down the short hallway of the Sheriff’s department to the front office.

  “That was Daniel Kroft, foreman over at Crawley Creek Ranch. Seems someone just shot one of the dogs out there,” Maci explained.

  Colby looked to Bran for more information. He hadn’t realized there were any dogs at Crawley Creek, but with the ongoing search for Bucky Simons in full force, anyone shooting at the ranch was bad.

  “A dog was shot?” Bran questioned.

  Maci glanced at the pen marks on her hand. “Yep, a dog owned by a resident. That’s all he said. They’re taking the dog over to Dr. Gillian’s for treatment, but Daniel said someone will be at the ranch to give the report.”

  Bran sighed. “Colby, you head to Luke’s office and get as much info as you can. I’ll find out what I can at the ranch.”

  Colby nodded and watched as the sheriff headed for home. From a quiet small town to a chaotic epicenter of crime, Montford had certainly changed in the last year or so. What could possibly happen next?

  * * *

  Elizabeth was at the grocery store loading bags into her car, when a pickup truck squealed around the corner and slammed into a parking stall across the street. Standing on the sidewalk open-mouthed, she watched as Roman Freemont leaped from the driver’s seat and followed a woman into the veterinarian’s clinic. She couldn’t see what she was carrying, but the answer wouldn’t have helped her understand what was going on, so she waved it off. What she did know was the woman wasn’t his girlfriend, Franki.

  A year ago, Elizabeth had been pining for Roman. She’d envisioned being the woman to set him on the straight and narrow, share a lifelong love, but when he met Franki, she’d lost her chance. She liked Franki, but that didn’t stop her from feeling the burn of jealousy in her gut whenever she spotted the happy couple around town. She wanted that sort of happiness; she just didn’t want the obligation that went with it.

  Returning the cart to the store, she was about to climb into her car when the sheriff’s SUV pulled alongside Roman’s truck. Surprising her further, Colby climbed out and hurried into the building without so much as a look around him.

  Unable to resist her own curiosity, she made a beeline for the office door. Something serious must have happened to one of the animals at Crawley Creek. Last she knew all the cattle and horses were treated on site, though. Pushing the door open, she came face-to-face with Roman and Colby. They topped her small stature by a long shot, and their massive size made the waiting room tight.

  “Bethie?” Colby frowned in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

  “I uh…” she paused and cleared her throat. “I saw Roman from across the street, and I wanted to check and make sure everything was okay.”

  Colby’s eyes flashed with something akin to anger when Roman indulgently smiled and reached out to hug her. “Thanks, sugar, but I’m only the taxi driver this time. Payton’s dog got shot, and we had to get him here fast.”

  Instead of feeling the ripple of pleasure she’d expected from Roman’s embrace, she felt a shiver of discomfort. It felt wrong to be in his arms after her special moments in Colby’s. She considered reaching for him, but they hadn’t discussed making their non-relationship public, so it wouldn’t be fair. Stepping away from Roman so she was standing more evenly between the pair, she asked, “Who is Payton? How did her dog get shot?”

  “Exactly what I want to know,” Colby said, his voice sharp as he withdrew a notepad and pen from his pocket. “Tell me what you know, Romeo.”

  Elizabeth wondered if Colby had deliberately called Roman by his old nickname as a reminder that he’d been a playboy for years, but she pushed the thought away as highly unlikely. Colby was surely as unaware of her emotional attachment to Roman as Roman was.

  “I was in the corral with the new calf and his mama. He’d been limping on his back leg, so we’re watching him. Doc hasn’t found anything to explain the limp, and we’re hoping it’s just a strained muscle,” Roman explained.

  “Is that the one that was just born?” Colby asked. A frown of concern touched his face, and Elizabeth wondered how such a big man could show emotion so easily, but she loved it about him.

  Roman nodded and continued to speak, so she focused on their conversation again. “...thought he was going to be a shower, but right now it’s looking like he might have to be culled.”

  “You would put him down because of a limp?” Elizabeth asked, revulsion clear in her shrill voice. “That’s inhumane.”

  “It’s a cattle ranch, sugar. Not everything is humane no matter how hard we try. We don’t raise animals for pets. We can’t afford to.”

  Blushing with embarrassment at her over-the-top reaction, she nodded, “I know, I’m sorry. I just can’t imagine putting a new baby calf down because it might have a limp.

  Colby’s arm snaked out to wrap around her waist and pull her into his side. So much for keeping their non-relationship on the down low. “The Crawley Creek Ranch is known for the good treatment of their animals. If there’s anything that can be done, they’ll do it, Bethie.” Roman’s eyes narrowed at their embrace, but he didn’t say anything as Colby turned the conversation back to the shooting. “So you were in the corral. Then what happened?”

  “I heard a shot. Came from way behind the house. Behind the cabins, even. Now, you know we’ve had a lot of bad things happening around the ranch lately,” he paused and gave Colby a meaningful look that had a million questions racing in Elizabeth’s head. “So I didn’t hesitate. I took off at a run. I came around just as Kyler was lifting Chinook off the ground. He doesn’t have a car since Drannon took the Tahoe keys because he was drinking in town all the time. Damn kid seems to have replaced drugs with booze and doesn’t see how they’re the same thing. So much for that stupid rehab program.”

  “And then?” Colby prodded.

  “I grabbed Payton’s hands and pulled her to the truck. We passed Drannon on our way. He was sending guys to see where the shot came from. I put Payton in the truck, Kyler put Chinook in her lap, and we came here.” Roman’s hands lifted in a gesture of helplessness. “I wish I knew more. That’s a damn good dog. I can’t imagine how anyone shot him accidently, but I don’t know why someone would do it intentionally.”

  “He’s a service dog, right?” Colby asked, dashing notes down on the paper. It all looked like chicken scratch to Elizabeth.

  “Right, she just got him. From that Dogs in Service outfit. Jeanette suggested it.”

  A scuffling sound drew their attention. A woman with hair the color of a new penny stumbled into the room.

  “Shit, Payton, are you alright? Is he…” Roman hurried to her side and looped his arm around her waist to help her to a chair. The motion exposed the woman’s face, and Elizabeth had to bite back a gasp at the scar that covered her left cheek and temple.

&n
bsp; “I left my cane at the cabin. I think I was moving on pure adrenaline,” Payton’s voice was husky, and she didn’t even look to see who else was in the room.

  “I’ll call and see if Vin can bring it so you have it. What did Luke say?” Roman took a seat in the chair next to Payton’s, his hand still holding hers. If Elizabeth hadn’t seen him and Franki together, she might have assumed there was something between these two, but she couldn’t imagine Roman cheating on his girlfriend.

  “He’s taking Chinook into surgery. The bullet is lodged in one of his ribs, and has to come out,” Payton’s tone was completely empty. Like she had no emotion in her body, and yet the sorrow was clearly etched into her face. “He’s got a fifty-fifty shot.”

  “Luke Gillian is the best vet there is, Payton. He’ll do everything he can to save your dog,” Elizabeth offered encouragement even though she didn’t know the woman. She couldn’t stand how sad Payton looked when she lifted her face and met her gaze.

  They shared an intense look before Payton swallowed hard and nodded. “Thanks.”

  “I’m Elizabeth Newcomer, I work at the diner in town. I’m sorry we’re meeting under these circumstances.” Elizabeth reached her hand out politely but dropped it when Payton just stared at it for a long moment. “Is there anything I can get for you? Water? Coffee? Tequila?”

  The last word got the reaction she was hoping for, and Payton’s mouth curved up on one side. “Make it a double and you’ve got a deal.”

  Elizabeth smiled widely and nodded. “You’ve got it. Give me twenty minutes to drop my stuff off and I’ll be back with a bottle and a shot glass.”

  Turning toward the door, Colby was on her heels as she left the small clinic. He didn’t speak until they were standing next to her car and she stopped to look at him.

  “You’re really going to bring her tequila?” he asked, a smile playing on his lips as he brushed a lock of hair from her cheek.