THE COWBOY'S RULES: 3: THE SURPRISE (Cowboys After Dark Book 6)

by Maggie Carpenter

  Gulping back an unexpected wave of emotion he walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. What he really wanted to do was make love to her, sweet, gentle, soft love, but then he’d disappoint her, and he wasn’t going to do that. She’d tried to postpone the inevitable spanking because she’d needed to test him, to make sure the resurgence of her cowboy was real and strong; it was imperative he give her that reassurance. When her bottom was stinging and her pussy was gushing its invitation, then he would worship her as she deserved

  The sound of the shower brought Cassie from her easy sleep, and opening her eyes she stretched and yawned, a satisfied smile crossing her lips.

  Thank God he didn’t listen to me. Is there anything worse than a broken promise? Especially that kind of broken promise.

  “Glad you’re awake.”

  Rolling over she saw him standing in the door of the bathroom, the light behind him transforming him into a silhouette, his tall, muscled frame defined like a charcoal sketch.

  “You look amazing,” she mumbled.

  “Back at ya,” he said, his voice soft and deep as he moved slowly forward.

  Perching on the edge of the mattress he ran his fingers down her arm.

  “Sassy Cassie,” he breathed. “You tried to wriggle out of this. Naughty girl,” he smiled.

  “I can’t seem to help myself,” she sighed.

  “I know, and I’ve gotta make sure you know you can’t. You know I keep my promises. Maybe one of these days you’ll get it through that head of yours.”

  “It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s-”

  “It’s that you need to be reassured, and hon, my hand will reassure you all you need. Come here and sit on my lap.”

  “Don’t you mean crawl over your lap?” she asked, a sassy smile curling the edges of her mouth.

  “Nope, I mean sit on my lap with your back to me.”

  “I don’t understand?”

  “Just do what I tell you. Your butt’s gonna be hot enough, you don’t need to add to it.”

  “Sorry, sorry,” she said quickly, and climbing on to him she straddled his thighs and faced the wall.

  “Now lean all the way down and put your hands on the floor.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t fall off, just do it,” he said firmly, “and push you legs out behind you.”

  Tentatively dropping down she felt him grasp her thighs, holding her securely until her palms were flat on the rug.

  “This is so weird,” she exclaimed.

  “It doesn’t look weird from where I’m sittin’,” he retorted. “I’d have to say it’s a real nice view from up here. You balanced? I’m gonna let you go.”

  “Yes, I’m balanced,” she groaned.

  Moving his hands to her cheeks presented so delectably before him, he pressed and squeezed and fondled, then slowly began to spank, slapping from one cheek to the other.

  “OW, OW, Chad, can’t you please just put me over your lap?” she begged.

  “Nope, now be quiet, no loud hollerin’. We don’t need Rose to come knockin’ on the door.”

  As his hand moved across her ass, slapping fervently, she could only imagine how she looked to his eye. She felt lewdly exposed, and while it was disturbing it was also firing her hunger. He paused his smacking hand to tease her, and she couldn’t stop herself from squirming in response.

  “Do you remember what we do during a maintenance spanking?” he asked.

  “Please let me up?” she pleaded.

  Her request was met with a volley of stinging smacks before he repeated his question.

  “Do you remember what we do during a maintenance spanking?”

  “Oooh, ouch, ouch,” she gasped, “I tell you what I’ve done wrong during the week.”

  “Correct, so what sins do you have to confess, besides the obvious lie about Mandy?”

  “Uh, I, uh…”

  “Don’t make me wait much longer,” he warned.

  “I didn’t tell you the whole truth about my conversation with Dan Michaels,” she stammered, “and I really don’t want to.”

  “Is that so? Why don’t you want to? Are you afraid I’ll be upset with you?”

  “Yes, that’s exactly why.”

  “Does it have something to do with why the revised figures for that small addition were so much lower?”

  “Uh-huh,” she replied, wriggling to find a more comfortable position.

  “Hmmm. I’m gonna spank you for not tellin’ me the whole truth when I asked, and then you can tell me what you said to him. I promise I won’t spank you anymore for it afterwards. Fair enough?”

  “Yes, Sir,” she whimpered.

  His hand began to rise and fall with an extra zing to its delivery.

  “You could have said, there’s more to the story, Chad, but I’m worried about tellin’ you,” he scolded, “and you certainly shouldn’t have gone up there without lettin’ me know. If you’d wanted a private word with him I would’ve let you do that,” he scolded.

  “Yes, Sir,” she wailed, the hot sting intensifying with every smack. “You’re right, I went behind your back, that was wrong of me, I’m sorry.”

  He stopped and rubbed, then pushing his finger into her wetness, he gently moved his finger in and out, eliciting a moan of pleasure.

  “Is your bottom hot?” he asked softly.

  “Yes, Sir, very,” she bleated.

  “You think you can tell me what you said to him?”

  “I told him what you said, that you weren’t born yesterday, and…and…”

  “And what?” Chad pressed.

  “And if he didn’t go through the entire cost analysis for the house and make some serious adjustments, not just for the closet extension but for the whole project, I’d have an army of lawyers sue his ass for not screening that creep who attacked me, and that my father was furious that I wasn’t suing him, and if he googled my dad he’d find out just who he’d end up dealing with if he tried to fuck you over, and those were pretty much my exact words…oh…and I also told him he’d better have the house finished dead on time or earlier, or he’d have a real mess on his hands.”

  She had spoken in such a flurry Chad had difficulty keeping up, but when she’d finished he was so shocked his finger had frozen buried in her sex.

  “Chad,” she wiggled, “are you really, really angry?”

  Her question broke his momentary trance, and withdrawing his hand he stared at her reddened behind.

  “Crawl down and come up here,” he said tenderly, adding, “and no, I’m not angry, not one bit.”

  Cassie lowered herself on to the floor, and as she climbed on to the bed he stretched out and helped her to lie against him.

  “Really? You’re not angry?”

  “Cassie, you don’t need to fight my battles, but what you did…honestly…it’s shocking.”

  He could picture her standing in front of Dan Michaels, eyes blazing, bigger than life, her body tilted forward as she railed her fury at him. Propping himself up on an elbow he looked down at her.

  “Cassie, you are an impressive woman.”

  “Impressive?” she smiled.

  “Yes, impressive, very, very, impressive, and I sure as hell don’t know how I ended up with someone like you.”

  “For starters, you’re the only man I ever met who wasn’t scared of me,” she giggled.

  “I’m the only one who dared to spank your butt,” he grinned, then dropping his lips to her neck he kissed her in the spot he knew would make her toes curl.

  “Oh, I love it when you kiss me there,” she sighed.

  “I know,” he purred.

  His lips traversed her body, kissing, licking and nibbling, his hands caressed, fondled and teased, and a few minutes later as he slid inside her wanting cunt, his cock rode her gently, then with powerful, spine-tingling thrusts.

  As she surrendered to the intoxicating orgasm, calling out his name as the spasms ripp
led through her, she wondered for the briefest of moments how she had ever lived without him, and knew she never could.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  As Rose nervously walked her mare, Willow, towards the horse van, Cassie stood back and watched, thinking the horse was probably only about 15 hands high and seemed easy enough to control, but as Rose led the mare past an area of grass, Willow darted her head down, almost yanking Rose off her feet.

  “Sorry,” Rose called, “this is another thing she does.”

  With a smile on his face Chad walked over and took the lead rope.

  “She’s just got you hoodwinked,” he declared. “I’ll bet she’s given you some rope burns.”

  “Yes, I’m sorry to say she has,” Rose replied, an embarrassed flush crossing her face.

  “You need to buy a decent pair of leather gloves. Get some good ones that you feel confident wearing. Hopefully after I help you a bit, this issue will be a thing of the past.”

  “That would be wonderful,” the woman sighed.

  “You should still wear gloves though. I’m real big on gloves.”

  Cassie smiled, recalling the brief conversation they’d had when she’d first arrived on Chad’s ranch.

  “Where are your gloves?”

  “I don’t need them.”

  “I have a rule here, no gloves, no handlin’ a horse.”

  “But-”

  “No gloves, no horse.”

  The memory sent a wave of warmth through her heart.

  Wow, it feels like a lifetime ago, and like yesterday, all at the same time.

  “Let’s get this girl movin’,” Chad declared as he insisted Willow lift her head.

  The decree broke into Cassie’s momentary walk down memory lane, and she watched Chad as he made the little mare move backwards, then forwards, then sideways.

  “There, Rose, you see her lickin’ her lips, that means her brain is connected. Can’t get a horse to listen if its brain isn’t connected.”

  Rose, completely in awe of how easily Chad could handle her difficult horse, nodded her head, then followed as Chad led the horse up to the ramp.

  “She probably won’t go up,” Rose said apologetically. “She’s funny about trailers, and she’s never been on anything like that.”

  Cassie, leaning against the van, remembered how she’d said almost the same words to Chad about Shelby, her thoroughbred jumper.

  “Sure she will, like I said, she’s got you hoodwinked,” he grinned.

  Rose stood, not believing her eyes, when, after just a few tentative steps, the mare followed Chad into the van and disappeared.

  “Can I come up?” she called.

  “Sure, come on in and see how your nervous, worried mare is doin’,” he called back.

  Rose looked up the ramp, and Cassie could see her hesitation.

  “Go on, it’s okay. I went through this almost a year ago with my horse. Chad told me exactly what he just told you, and he was right. Honestly, it’s perfectly safe. Go on up.”

  “I’ve just never been on anything like this, I don’t want to-”

  “You won’t cause any problems, I promise,” Cassie smiled. “Do you want me to walk up with?”

  “Would you?” the older woman asked.

  “Sure.”

  Moving quickly to her side, Cassie took her hand and walked her up the ramp, and when they entered Rose let out a small cry of astonishment. Her difficult Willow was enclosed inside one of the barred compartments, untethered, happily eating hay from a net that was secured against the wall; she was completely calm.

  “I can’t believe my eyes,” she exclaimed. “Even when she’s in a trailer she starts stomping her feet. It’s so scary.”

  “She’s figured out that I’m scarier,” Chad grinned.

  “Ooh, right,” Rose replied, the lightbulb going off, then sighing with relief she took a moment to take in her surroundings. “My goodness, this is huge.”

  “Yep, it can carry up to eight horses, but we rarely transport that many at a time.”

  “Just beautiful,” she remarked, “land sakes, wait until I tell Clyde about this.”

  “You can bring him by anytime,” Chad offered.

  “I’d love to do that. I wish he was here now, seeing Willow so calm. He calls her Wicked Willow, or Willow the Witch.”

  “She’s not wicked, and she’s not a witch, she’s just a smart little mare,” Chad chuckled, “but we have to get moving. I’ll see you when you get to the fairgrounds. Remember, your name will be with the security guard at the gate. If you don’t see us just come to the yellow trailer by the arena, or inside the arena itself. Willow will probably be eating by the rig. I won’t work with her until the show, the demonstration has to be legitimate.”

  “Right,” Rose nodded, and turned to walk back down the ramp.

  “Don’t forget her bridle,” Chad reminded her as he followed her down.

  “I’m really glad you reminded me,” she smiled. “I’m in shock right now, I might have forgotten.”

  Cassie watched the kindly woman walk back towards her house, knowing Rose was still in awe about what she’d seen, and how Chad had been able to make her horse behave so easily.

  “Get in,” he called, “we need to go.”

  Turning around Cassie saw Chad had already closed up the van, and with Mickey at his side he was getting into the cab. Hurrying forward she climbed in, settling into her seat, and as Chad began rolling the van forward she looked across at him and smiled.

  “I’ll never get tired of seeing that.”

  “Seein’ what?” he asked.

  “Seeing you work your magic with horses. You have such a gift, and it’s not just technique, it’s some kind of energy you emanate. I could practice what you do all day and still not have that.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short,” he replied. “You’re a terrific horsewoman, and look at how Shelby responds to you now. Speaking of Shelby, have you made up your mind about the show? I’ve been so preoccupied I just realized that it’s the same one I took you to last year, when we met. Do you know why they brought it forward a month?”

  “Randy said it had something to do with the rings,” she replied quietly.

  “Did I say something wrong?” he asked, sensing the sudden and dramatic change in her mood.

  “No, no, not at all, I’m just thinking about it, whether I should go or not, that’s all.”

  “I’m happy to go and see Randy tomorrow, if you’d still like to. We could rent a car for the day, leave the rig and the boys at the ranch. I’m sure Rose will be happy to feed them lunch, and dinner too if we get held up.”

  Chad watched her stare out the window, strangely quiet.

  “If you don’t want to-”

  “Yes, I do, yes,” she said suddenly. “Thanks, Chad, I think that would be great.”

  “Cassie, if there’s anything you need to talk about…” he said softly.

  “No, not really, not yet,” she mumbled.

  He saw her swallow, and felt the onset of black cloud hovering over her.

  “Whenever you’re ready,” but I think I already know what it is. I just don’t know how I can help you.

  As they drove to the fairgrounds Chad could feel her pulling herself out of her dark thoughts, and by the time they pulled into their familiar parking area she seemed to shaken them off.

  “You ready for your last show, Mickey?” she asked, giving him a hug.

  “It’ll be half the work today,” Chad said, “then you can relax with your girlfriend.”

  “I think he’ll be grateful for that,” Cassie remarked. “I think he’s getting tired.”

  “I think we’re all gettin’ tired. I’ll have to make sure to get everyone’s stamina up for next summer, mine included.”

  “I’m not surprised Mandy’s ready to call it quits,” Cassie remarked as she unfastened her seat belt, “but I have a feeling she’ll call you at some point, asking if she can come back.”

&nbs
p; Chad was helping Mickey out of his harness, and pondered Cassie’s comment.

  “You know, you might be right, but if Jennifer’s against it, Mandy will be hard pressed to-”

  “Speaking of the devil,” Cassie interrupted, seeing the pretty, svelte equine acrobat jogging towards them

  “Hi. Shall I unload?” Mandy called up to the cab.

  “There’s another horse in there, Willow,” Cassie replied, climbing down to join her. “I’ll let Chad call the shots. I don’t know if he wants her out first or last.”

  “First,” Chad decreed, walking around the front of the van to join them. “She’ll have a heart attack if Bailey or Captain leave before her. I’ll keep Willow with me while you two follow with the boys.”

  Once the horses were unloaded and Chad had secured to them to the side of the van, Willow appeared content, secure in the knowledge that she had two big, burly geldings to protect her, but Chad insisted Mandy or Cassie keep watch on her at all times.

  The morning passed quickly. Chad was busy with the sound and lighting crew making sure all the cues for the second act were correctly set, while Mandy and Cassie were taking turns walking the horses so one of them could stay behind to watch Willow.

  When Rose and Clyde arrived exactly on time, thirty minutes before the show, Cassie and Mandy were busy grooming Bailey and Captain at the side of the rig. Seeing the girls, and not sure where else to go, the couple walked over to them.

  “Hi Rose, Clyde,” Cassie greeted them. “This is Mandy Parsons.”

  “So honored to meet you,” Rose beamed. “You’re wonderful.”

  “Thank you,” Mandy smiled, “I’ll run and get Chad for you.”

  “See, Clyde, see how calm she is?” Rose said, staring at Willow standing quietly eating her hay.

  “Wicked Willow, hard to believe,” he remarked shaking his head.

  “She just needed to understand she’s not the top dog, not anymore. Chad is, and you will be too,” Cassie said reassuringly.

  “If you say so,” Rose sighed.

  “Rose, Clyde, good to see you,” Chad said as he marched up. Already dressed in his show clothes he looked bigger than life.