by Abby Wood
After carrying his tools from the lean-to into the stables, he stepped out of the building and stretched his back. He winced at the artillery of pops in his lower spine.
“You’re getting soft, Howahkan.”
Kane turned and shook his head at Kohana leaning against the fence. “My woman wears me out every night. You should think about getting one. It’s good exercise. It’ll also keep you young.”
Kohana laughed. “I have too many women. It would be insane to strap myself to one. Plus, I could kick your ass any day…”
Kane joined his friend in holding up the fence. “You’re back early. I thought the job was going to last until the first snow fell.”
“Meh,” Kohana sighed. “The job didn’t work out. Same old thing… Someone had a problem with the color of my skin, and I was handed a check. The world advances, but the good ol’ boys on the riggers remain the same. I might as well stick to jobs close to home and stay on the reservation.”
“You’ve had the same thing happen before, and change doesn’t happen overnight. You are making a difference toward how people view the Lakota.” Kane could tell Kohana was okay with his decision.
“Yes.” Kohana raised his arm and pulled at the top of his hair. “The only thing I regret is this stupid haircut. I feel like an idiot.”
Kane clapped him on the shoulder. “It’ll grow. The women will stop laughing once you no longer look like a hoksila.”
“Did you call me a boy?” Kohana punched Kane in the stomach and grinned. “Now what’s this about a woman? What kind of trouble did you get in while I was gone?”
“Come.” He motioned for Kohana to keep up with him. “I’ll tell you about Ana, and then you can meet her in a little bit. If you stop hitting me, I might even know someone who’ll give you a job.”
Chapter Seventeen
The shadows at the edge of the backyard camouflaged Kane and Ana from the crowd of people congregated outside Will and Daphne’s ranch. Pressed against Kane’s chest, Ana leaned her head back and peered out into the night. She’d had a wonderful but busy day, and coupled with the shopping trip earlier, she was beat.
“Daphne’s amazing.” She snuffed her yawn with her hand. “I can’t believe how much energy she’s got. I’m worn out, and she’s still out there dancing with Will, looking like she could party all night.”
“Yes. She is a good friend to you.” Kane stroked Ana’s arm. “Will gave Kohana a job on his ranch. He’ll be able to live on the reservation and make the daily trip to work with no problem.”
“Kohana is exactly how you described him. He’s quite the flirt too. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the women here didn’t snag him up.” Ana giggled and pointed toward the back door of the house. “Oh my God, Kane…look.”
Will’s St. Bernard, Klep, walked through the open doorway with a black patent-leather purse dangling from his mouth. Two seconds later, the dog came back outside, stopped and searched the vicinity before bounding off toward the table piled with food.
“Oh my God, where did Klep steal that purse from? Do you think he’s learned how to open car doors now?” Ana laughed. “I wonder how much loot Klep will collect tonight?”
“That’s one weird dog.” Kane’s thumb skimmed the tip of her breast.
Her laughter died in her throat. All night Kane’s touch, even his gaze, never left her for long. His attentiveness pleased her.
“I’m surprised Will hasn’t trained Klep to mind his manners.” Will nuzzled Ana’s bare shoulder. “He’s worked his magic on Daphne.”
Ana stilled. “What an odd thing to say. Daphne’s one of the strongest women I know. She’d never let Will train her to do his or anyone’s bidding. She’s opinionated, strong and stubborn. She’s probably the best friend I’ve ever had. I think she’s the most confident woman I know.”
“You haven’t noticed anything different about their relationship?” Kane shifted her hips against his cock, now hard and wanting attention. “I think Will’s into being the master of their relationship.”
Ana tilted her head. “You mean as in ‘tie me up and spank me’?”
“Yes.” The front of his knees bumped into the back of her thighs.
“Hmm…” How was she supposed to form an opinion when her dress and lack of panties allowed the hard ridge of his cock to boink her between her butt cheeks? “You might be right. I know Daphne sees something in Will that she’d never found in anyone else around here.”
“Does my naughty girl like the idea of a little spanking?” He slid his hand from her hip to the apex of her thighs, rubbing the slinky material against her mound.
The jolt of heat spreading throughout her body left her struggling to figure out what he was asking. She swallowed. “Spanking?”
He patted her pussy lightly. “Uh-huh.”
She stumbled as her leg muscles quivered. “Oh God.”
“You like that?” Kane tapped her harder. “Is it making your pussy wet, thinking about my hand warming your skin?”
“Kane—” She gasped.
“Think we can find somewhere to disappear to where no one can find us?” He pushed his finger in her slit. “I want you now. Here. In another minute, I won’t care who can see us. I’ll bend you over, lift up the ends of your dress and shove my cock up your cunt.”
“Y-yes.” She shuddered at his words. “The barn. House. A bush. I don’t care where we go, I just want you now.”
He stepped back, held out his hand and led her farther away from the house. She glanced over her shoulder. They seemed to have slipped out without anyone’s notice.
“Oh hell.” Kane stopped, grasped her around the waist and set her up into the bed of their pickup. “I’m not going to walk around hunting for a scrub brush to hide behind with my jeans growing tighter by the second. This’ll work better than the dirty ground anyway.”
Ana covered her cheeks with her hands. “I can still see everyone from up here.”
“Give me a second, and I’ll have you tucked out of sight. No one will see a thing.” Kane vaulted over the tailgate. “Let me help you take off your pretty dress. We don’t want to ruin it the first night you get to wear it.”
She shivered. “Hurry.”
“You look so beautiful, but I have to say seeing your bare skin glowing under the moonlight does more for me than any fancy dress.” He kissed her softly.
With her dress folded and set on top of the cab, Ana stretched out flat on her back. Kane lost his shirt, unbuttoned his jeans and laid a trail of kisses down her torso. Ana squirmed against the cool metal underneath her, struggling to find a spot where the ridges weren’t poking her spine.
Kane used the tip of his tongue to trace her freshly shaved pussy lips. Ana stilled. It no longer mattered where she was or who was around. She could stay here for hours letting Kane lick her sticky sweetness from her body.
He used his thumbs to hold her open, and zoned in on her clit. She gasped. “Yes!”
She held his head in place. He made fast, precise strokes with his tongue. Her orgasm snuck up on them both and she arched against his mouth. “Oh. My. God. I couldn’t wait.”
“Again,” Kane mumbled.
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.” He dived back in, never letting up on her clit.
He lipped her nub, drawing it out of its hood. A nibble, a lick, and finally he sucked the swollen bead into his warm mouth.
Ana’s body came up and she tugged on his hair as another climax rocked her body. “Kane! Enough. Enough.”
“Not yet. My turn.”
He helped her turn around. On her hands and knees, she hung her head, breathing hard. Fully satisfied, she jolted as Kane’s tongue lavished her lower spine one little lick at a time. She threw her head back and prayed he’d keep touching her.
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Her whole body trembled as her sensitive nerves sparked back to life. He trailed his mouth to her tailbone, parted her cheeks and kept going down. He left a wet path along the slit of her ass with his tongue until he met the puckered bud of her anus. He lavished the ring with wet swirls.
“Kane!” She bucked against him.
Caught between wanting him to stop and praying he’d continue, she sucked in her lower lip and bit down to keep from screaming. Oh sweet Lord.
He licked her anus and moved down to wiggle his tongue inside her pussy. Ana moaned. She was wet and hot. Her juices coated the inside of her thighs. “Please…”
His mouth left her and his knees bumped into her legs. The rip of the condom seemed to echo in the night.
She pushed back as he slid his cock into her pussy. He fucked her without stopping. Without a chance to catch her breath, she could only let her climax take total control.
The force of his thrusts set her knees on fire. Sweating, shaking, she lost herself in the haze of satisfaction. She reached back between her legs and flicked her fingers over his balls.
He ground himself into her depth. His cock pulsated with his release. She collapsed onto her stomach, dislodging his spent cock. He lay down on his side, threw his arm over her back and inhaled deeply.
“Okay?”
“Mm…more than okay.” She pushed up on her elbow and winced. “Except, I don’t think my knees are going to forgive the abuse.”
He brushed his lips against her ear. “I’ll kiss them when we get home and make them all better.”
“Promise?”
“I’ll do more than—” He sat up quickly. “We’ve got company coming this way.”
“Oh God. Who?” she whispered, rolling into a fetal position to hide her lack of clothes.
“Kohana.”
She tapped her head against the truck. “Hurry and get dressed…take him out of here. I need to stand up and put my dress back on.”
He chuckled as he buttoned his jeans and slipped his shirt back on. Not waiting until he exited the truck, he raised his hand. “Over here, Kohana.”
“I’m gonna kill you.” Ana groaned and covered her face.
“Promise?” Kane smacked her bare ass.
She shook her head and muffled her giggles. I’ll get you back, mister.
Chapter Eighteen
Sweat dripped down Ana’s hairline. She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. It was hotter than blazes out here.
“What was the purpose again of doing this in the middle of the afternoon when normal people are hiding in their houses out of the heat?” She readjusted her hold on the rope. “Even my hands are dripping.”
“You will see in a moment. This is the way it has always been done.” He folded his arms across his bare chest, never breaking his gaze from the young horse straining against the lead. “If it helps, the horse is also hot and tired.”
She snorted. “No. Not doing a thing for my impatience to go in the shade.”
Time seemed to slow, but eventually the rope loosened in her hands. Afraid of speaking in case it caused the horse to change his mind, she held perfectly still, watching the stubborn standoff between man and horse.
“Nitawa caje, Natagugu.” Kane moved toward the horse, slipped off the rope and laid his forehead upon the slope of the horse’s nose.
Ana’s arms fell to her sides and she stared in astonishment. All day the wild horse had struggled and fought the rope. Suddenly, the big animal stood with his head bowed as if he’d become an obedient lap dog in a split second.
She studied the way man and animal merged into one scene. The same tension, the same give, the same raw power. Her fingers itched to sweep the brush over the canvas, melting them into one. Blue. She’d mask the darkness in blue to show the hope and contentment sure to come.
The spirit in which Kane trained the horses amazed her. A mix between gentleness, control and understanding. At times, she wondered if his understanding of the wild beasts came from his soul. To her, Kane was a free soul who should have no ties. A loner in his own world, yet somehow, someway, he included her in his life.
Kane lifted his hands out to his sides. The horse’s eyes followed his movements. Ana forgot about the heat, her tired, achy muscles and the tank top plastered against her back. Witnessing the next step always amazed her, and she didn’t want to miss a second.
In a duel of power and surrender, Kane lowered himself to his knees and bowed his head. His lips moved, but the words he spoke escaped her hearing. As if sensing the meaning behind the act, the animal shifted forward and nosed Kane’s hair. Ana’s vision blurred.
In a show of acceptance, Kane stood up, flung his arms out to the sides and gave the horse back his freedom. “Heeyaw!”
With a regal toss of his head, the horse turned and galloped away to seek his own space. Ana wiped her hands over her cheeks. The reservation had no fences. The animals could come and go as they pleased, but from this day forward, the horse would always approach when Kane sought him out.
Kane built up the horses’ trust and confidence. Nothing about Kane’s process broke the wild spirit of the animal.
She joined Kane and watched the horse gallop off over Lakota land, enjoying the ability to run of its own free will. She knew exactly what was going through the horse’s mind. Kane gave her the same feeling. He’d given her everything, and she was a better person for having him in her life.
“You do beautiful work.” She smiled at Kane. “What did those words mean? Neat awa…something.”
“Nitawa caje, Natagugu.” Kane grinned. “I told him his name was curly head.”
“What? Are you kidding me?” She laughed. “Why would you call him that?”
“His mane is matted and bushy. It will remind him of how he came to me.” He pulled her to his side and slung his arm over her shoulders. “We are who we are. Changing our attitude, our surroundings, doesn’t change what is inside of us.”
She nodded. “That’s true, I suppose.”
An air horn blasted the air. Dogs barked and a couple of nearby doors slammed shut as people came outside to investigate the noise. Ana frowned. “What in the world was that for?”
“I don’t know. Let’s check it out.” Kane jogged ahead of her.
Past the stable, in view of the road, Ana slowed down. It was only George coming for a load of goods to sell back in New York. She smiled. Maybe he had news about the painting she’d given him last time.
Behind the diesel truck, a man stepped out of a black Cadillac, straightened, undid another button on his shirt and headed toward George and Kane. Ana ignored the man and smiled at George.
“Ana, I’d like to introduce you to someone.” George half turned and nodded at the overly dressed man. “This is Cleve Jorges. He’s the owner of Le Nouveau Gallery. He’s asked to come here with me to meet you.”
Ana glanced at Kane. He shrugged. She had no idea why someone would want to meet her.
“Hello, Mr. Jorges.” She stuck out her hand but pulled it back before shaking hands. “I’m sorry. I almost forgot how dirty I am. I should go wash up. I’ve been helping Kane with the horses.”
“That’s alright, my dear.” Cleve rolled up his sleeves. “Not even a tree in sight to get out of this godforsaken heat, is there?”
Ana motioned toward the house. “Please, come in. You too, George. I’ll get you some ice water and we can talk inside where it’s cooler.”
Hurrying through the doorway into the living room, she excused herself to wash up. Kane followed her into the kitchen.
“Do you know who that is?” she whispered.
He handed her a dish towel. “No clue.”
Kane carried the tray of glasses into the living room, and Ana followed behind. The two men stood along th
e wall, whispering over the painting Ana did of Kane.
“Here you go.” She removed two of the drinks and handed them to George and Cleve.
“Ms. Reynold.” Cleve handed over another envelope similar to the one George gave her last month when she’d sold her first piece. “Here’s your profit from the sunrise painting.”
“Thank you.” She set her earnings on the end table without checking how much she brought in this time.
“I asked to accompany George here because I wanted to talk with you.” He raised his glass, sipped and smiled. “I would like you to come back to New York with me—”
“Why?” She moved over to Kane’s side.
“It would be wonderful for your career, and I think it would bring you even more money.”
“Oh, I couldn’t. I don’t want to leave here.” She smiled. “Thank you for the offer, but—”
“Hear me out, please.” He widened his stance. “I would like to showcase your work. From what I understand, you have many finished paintings. We’d need six…maybe seven of your preferred choices. I’ll host two exhibitions. I want the buyers to meet the woman behind the talent.”
She shook her head. “I couldn’t possibly, Mr. Jorges. I-I’ve never even been out of North Dakota. The city…” She laughed. “I’d never fit in to a place like New York. Plus, I wouldn’t want to leave Kane…”
“If you’re worried about expenses, don’t be. I’ll set you up in a hotel and my wife and daughter can watch out for you. All you have to do is be open to talking about your work and answer questions. Collectors will be pushing each other out of the way to be the first to purchase your work. Your talent sells the pieces by itself. Having you there is a gift to the buyers. They would like to meet the special person behind the creation.” Cleve held up his finger. “One month, Ana. That’s all I ask. This is a chance of a lifetime. I believe you’re an up-and-coming artist. Go ahead and take a peek at how much your last painting sold for. I expect the next one to triple that amount and the one after that to go even higher.”