Carrie turned, a sweet smile on her face “Good morning, sir.” She put the brush down. “I saw your truck wasn’t here when I woke up. I’m an early riser; I hope you don’t mind but I…” a shy look crossed her face, and she didn’t finish her sentence.
“Thank you; I appreciate having a hand around here.”
A blush raised to her cheeks. Running the brush through the soft horse hair, Carrie said, “About last night—” Her eyes did not meet his.
Wes wanted to wrap his arms around her and kiss her. He did not. “What about it?” He crossed his arms in front of his chest.
The toe of her boot worried back and forth over the dirt on the ground. “Um.” She crossed her arms as well. “Hmm.”
“Yes?” Wes tried to hide the smile from his voice.
Without looking up at him, her voice trembling, she said, “It’s just that I liked it. I mean, not the actual spanking part, that hurt.” A hand unconsciously went to her bottom. The small gesture sent his heart racing. “I’ve wanted that for a very, very long time.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the words resonated loudly with him.
“I know.”
Her eyes reached his, startled. “You knew?”
“Yes. I knew the second I laid eyes on you, that you were a little girl who needed attention. And, I knew as soon as you opened Mabel’s stall door that night in the barn, that you were a young lady in need of boundaries and strict discipline. And a good, hard spanking.”
Carrie turned back to Mabel, her back towards Wes. “I want you to be that for me.” Her voice was barely audible.
Wes came behind her, standing close enough to feel the heat from her body. Without touching her, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Me, too.”
She twisted around to face him; her mouth turned up towards his. “How do we make it work?”
Without his permission, his hand seemed to raise itself to her face, his thumb gently brushing over her lower lip. “I don’t think we can.”
Her face looked feverish at his touch. “But can’t you just guide me, when we come to visit the ranch?”
Wes withdrew his hand and took a step back away from her. “No.” It was the only word he had to tell her his soul had been searching for her. To say to her he desired to make her his, and his alone. His little girl to cherish, love, spoil, protect, discipline, in which to pour every ounce of himself. Anything less than total ownership would not be enough. He could not tell her this, so instead, he again said, “No.”
Carrie’s eyes flashed. “You spanked me once.” She tossed her hands on her hips, demanding more that his one syllable answer.
Wes took a step back from her. “You put yourself in danger. You put my horse at risk. You disobeyed me. It was a punishment, nothing more. If you seek discipline in your life from here on out, I suggest you take that up with my brother, Garrett.”
“Someone say my name?” The barn door creaked open as the owner of the familiar baritone entered the space. Wes and Carrie froze, wondering how much he had heard.
Judging by the lazy way Garrett stretched and sauntered into the barn, he had heard none of it. After a long yawn, he took in the two serious faces. “Geez, are you two fighting again? Seriously, what do you even have to fight over? You’ve only known each other a few days.”
Garrett put his arm around Carrie, drawing her in for a kiss. He left his arm hanging casually over her shoulder. “So, what did you two kids get into yesterday?”
“We went riding.” Carrie quickly answered, then shrugged out from under his arm and busied herself with tending to the horses, but staying in earshot of the brothers.
“That we did. And Karen,” Wes looked pointedly at her, and she threw an ugly look over her shoulder at him, “decided to put everyone’s life in danger by trying to ride Mabel.”
“Oh,” Garrett said nonchalantly. “Hey, didn’t you used to ride horses at home?” He turned to Carrie.
Carrie continued to fiddle with the bridles and reins that were already perfectly in place. “Yes. I have a lot of experience.” Wes’ hand itched to spank the haughtiness from her voice.
Wes unclenched his teeth before replying, “On tame horses, maybe, but this didn’t go well, and someone could have gotten hurt.”
Garrett smiled affably. “Well, I’m just glad everyone is okay.” He looked down at his watch, checking the time, clearly unfazed by yesterday’s happenings.
“In fact, I was just telling Karen, Carrie, whatever she’s going by today, that someone ought to give her a good old-fashioned spanking for the prank she pulled yesterday,” Wes spoke to Garrett, but his eyes burned into Carrie’s. She held his gaze, then quickly looked to Garrett, her face as red as flames.
A gracious laugh erupted out of Garrett. “Man, you are too funny. Can you imagine?” A beatbox sound came into the barn, seeming out of place on the quiet ranch. “Something out of the dark ages.” Garrett reached into his pocket, producing a sleek black cell phone. “Excuse me you two, I’ve got to take this.” He patted Wes’ shoulder as he exited the barn, his voice going Wall Street as he announced, “Garrett, here,” into the phone.
Without a glance at Carrie, Wes turned on his heels to leave. Her small, sad voice stopped him in his tracks. “What happened to being friends?”
Running a hand through his shortened hair, Wes still stood facing the ranch, in the doorway of the barn, Carrie behind him. To turn around would be to delay the inevitable, invest further in a relationship that was impossible. Better to move on now, and get things back to normal as quickly as possible. Without turning, Wes uttered the words, “I’m sorry, Carrie girl, it turns out I don’t do ‘friends’ very well,” and left the barn.
“Let me take you out for a drink tonight. I need to say thank you for hanging out with Karen yesterday while I was working. And we need to catch up; I want to hear all about your love life.”
“Love life, yeah. What’s that?” Wes tried to assemble his face into a look of nonchalance.
Garrett laughed. “Come on, man. You are the most eligible bachelor in this town, and you’re telling me you aren’t dating anyone? Let’s go down to Ray’s tonight and see who we can scare up for you.”
“What about Car- Karen?”
“She has a headache. She’s laying down. We can grab dinner out, then get a few drinks. She won’t mind at all. I want to catch up, I’ve missed you, man.” Garrett put a hand on Wes’ arm. Guilt laid over Wes like a blanket.
“Okay.”
“Awesome.” The genuine smile of a trusting man stretched over his brother’s face.
Ray’s was not Wes’ type of place, it was more Garrett’s. Wes spent his weekends in the bed of his truck star gazing, but Gare had been a legend here back in the day. Whenever Garrett would come back into town on college break, all of his old high school friends that had stayed in town clambered to get some time in with the baller of New York.
Tonight, the place was quiet. Wes held open the heavy wood door for Garrett, and they stepped into the familiar place. It was originally a saloon and had dark, gleaming wood trim, bar, and floors. The lights were dim, and old country tunes played quietly in the background.
Ray looked up from his want ads. “Hey, fellas. Garrett, I heard you were in town.” He poured two beers, and they settled down at the bar, catching up with the old barkeep.
Garrett took a long swig of the cold beverage. “Mmm. I miss this sometimes. Everyone knows your name,” he gestured towards his glass, “the drinks don’t cost an arm and a leg.”
“Yeah, but small-town life was never for you.” Wes took a sip of his drink.
“You got that right. I get sentimental, but I could never leave the city.”
Wes turned his glass in circles on his coaster. “Could Carrie? She seems to like the ranch.”
The bridge of Garrett’s nose wrinkled. “Nah, I think she would have gone back home after college if she wanted this kind of life.” With a wave of his hand, Garrett dismissed the idea.
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“Well, lookie who it is,” the purr of the sex kitten herself filled Wes’ ears. Jessica had entered the bar.
The light in Garrett’s eyes shone brighter than Wes thought it should at the sight of the leggy blonde, but after his latest escapades, who was he to judge?
The barstool squeaked as Garrett pushed it back, smiling and standing to greet Jessica.
“Long time, no see, stranger.” Jessica wrapped her arms around Garrett, and he returned the embrace.
“You too, babe. How are,” Garrett gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then held Jessica at arm's length, admiring her beauty, “things?”
“Hey, Jess.”
She turned her attention to Wes saying, “Hey, yourself, cowboy.” She quickly turned her attentions back to Garrett, her perfect white teeth flashing her killer smile. “You look great, Gare. City treating you well?”
Garrett finally released the grip he had on her upper arms. One hand on his hip, and one hovering in the air as if to place it on her shoulder. He opted to put it on the bar cocking his head to the side and leaning, model like against it. “It’s the best. You should try it out. I’m sure you could make a fortune with those haircuts of yours.”
“You should come by and get a trim before you leave town. Save yourself some money.” Jess winked, as she tossed his perfectly groomed locks. Her flirty nature in full force around the handsome, well-dressed man that happened to be his younger brother.
Wes groaned and rolled his eyes.
“What’s that, Wes?” Garrett’s eyes never left Jessica’s, so entranced he had mistaken Wes’ groan for a comment.
Jess had heard him loud and clear. She rolled her eyes at Wes, then turned all her attention back to Garrett. “Oh, where’s your little lady? I heard you brought your latest catch into town.”
Wes turned to watch Garrett’s face as it flushed. “She’s not feeling well, but you’d love her.”
“I’m sure I would.” Jess shot a look at Wes. “You guys want to throw some darts?” Jess ordered a drink from Ray, another of her many admirers, and grabbed the dart set from behind the counter.
Wes would have typically preferred to catch up alone with Garrett, but he was worried he would come clean about what happened with Carrie, thus potentially rendering their relationship irreparable. Garrett seemed keen to hang with Jess and eagerly agreed to a game.
The threesome made their way over to the dart boards, drinks in hand. Out of nowhere, a curvy brunette materialized, gliding to Jess’ side and tugging at a strand of her long locks. Jess turned, recognition washing over her face. “Sasha!” She wrapped the beautiful woman in a tight hug. “I’m so glad you could make it.”
Wes inwardly groaned as Garrett’s face turned into a Cheshire cat. “Well, well, looks like we are playing doubles. Jess, who’s your friend?”
Jess turned, one arm around the dark beauty. “Wes, Gare, this is Sasha.” Sasha flipped her ebony locks over her shoulder and shook Wes’ hand, ignoring Garrett.
“Hello,” her voice was soft, her eyes shining.
Wes took her eager hand and shook it. Garrett cleared his throat, thrusting his hand forward, “Hi, Sasha, pleased to meet you.” Sasha shook his hand but quickly turned her attention back to Wes. “Want to play partners?’
Jessica said, “Great idea. I’ll take Garrett.” A broad grin flashed across Garrett's face.
The smile that Sasha shined on Wes made him wonder if the events of this evening had been pre-determined. He had a feeling this was one of Jess’ many matchmaking attempts.
Wes smiled politely and gestured for Sasha to go ahead of him. Following her, he admired her figure, her shining hair, her playful walk. What the hell? For once in his life, he would indulge Jessica.
The game was animated and grew heated quickly. It turned out that they were four very competitive people. Jess kept up a lively banter, while Sasha was very attentive towards Wes. After a few rounds, Sasha asked to pause the game. She dug around in her black leather bag, producing a pack of smokes and a lighter. “Anyone want to partake?” She winked at Wes. Apparently, Jess had not told Sasha that Wes hated the act of smoking.
Garrett jumped from his stool. “I’ll join you.” He gave a sly look at Wes; his older brother had always given him a hard time for smoking even though it was only occasionally.
Once they were out of earshot, Wes sat casually on Garrett's stool, next to Jess. “Match maker, match maker, make me a match,” he sang while looking at her accusingly.
Jess laughed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Am I that obvious?”
“Always.”
A guilty look crossed her face. “Okay, okay. I may have called your mom.”
“You called my mom?” It was news to Wes.
“We got close when you and I were dating. I was at your house a lot. I can’t help it, you know how I am. I got attached. I call every so often to check in, and when I called tonight, she told me you guys were at Ray’s.”
“Who’s the girl?” Wes raised his eyebrows incredulously at her.
Another guilty look crossed her face. “I thought you could use a distraction.”
“And you could use a double date with Gare?”
A lovely pink rose to Jessica’s cheeks; she was not normally one to blush. “No,” she said, quietly. “I promise I was thinking of you.”
Wes felt bad. “Tell me about her, Sasha.”
It had the effect he desired because Jess immediately perked up. “She’s smart, funny, gorgeous, of course, and the best part is, she plays.”
“Plays? Like plays darts?”
Jess rolled her eyes. “No, dummy. She plays. I met her at the club.”
“Oh, the club, she plays golf. Great. I’ve wanted to pull out the old clubs.”
The reward for his quick comment was the tip of Jess’ boot kicking him hard in the shin.
“Just give her a chance.”
“Sure,” Wes said, keeping his answer short. What he wanted to say was ‘I’ll give her a chance and in return, maybe you can try a little harder to hide the fact that you want Garrett as much as I want Carrie,’ but didn’t.
The next day Garrett slept in with, what Wes assumed, was a hangover. He had drunk three beers for each of Wes’ one. Wes was up and in the barn early, hoping to beat his little helper. He felt guilty for hanging out with Sasha last night, though he knew that was irrational. She had been a little drunk when they left and boldly kissed him on the mouth. The whispered words were still ringing in his ears, “I can tell you’d make a great Dom. Come play with us, sometime.” He sighed scooping the hay into the feeders.
He was not a dom; he did not want to play. He was just a strong man looking for the love of a tender, feisty, little woman. The picture on the flyer of the masquerade ball flashed in his mind. He stopped his work and leaned his forehead on his hand on the top of the handle of the pitchfork. No, he didn’t want to play, but he also couldn’t keep up this pathetic existence. He had to get himself a life and a woman, and that woman wasn’t going to be Carrie.
“Speak of the devil,” he murmured to himself as he watched the golden ponytail swing back and forth behind the petite woman as she made her way towards the barn.
“Morning, cowboy.” She grabbed up a shovel and headed to muck the stalls. “I didn’t think you’d be here today after coming in so late last night,” she said over her shoulder. “I swear Gare is going to sleep till noon, he reeked of booze.”
“Ah, I don’t drink much. I learned long ago to nurse a beer while everyone else is chugging theirs. Hangovers and ranch life just can’t coexist.” He thought a wistful look crossed her face, but couldn’t be sure.
“My mama and daddy don’t drink. The first time I touched alcohol was actually at that party Garrett told you about.” Her face was beet red, from working or embarrassment, he couldn’t tell. She continued to clean, strong for her size. “Nasty stuff. Now I just pretend to drink the wine they give me at those fancy parties, but I usually
pour it out into a house plant.”
Wes found himself chuckling, “Do you?” They worked side by side in a comfortable rhythm.
“Yes. I guess it’s passive aggressive. The women flirt, always flashing their goodies at Garrett. And they are all so tall, and sophisticated. I always feel like a little girl, out of place. I’d rather be at a family Sunday dinner.” The sound of a sniffle from her tugged at his heart.
She threw an apologetic look his way, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to offload. There are a lot of nice things about the city, too.”
He tried to lighten the mood. “Like places being open past eight o’clock?” he winked.
A bubbly laugh escaped her. “Exactly. And the food, don’t get me started on the food, though your mama’s cooking may have every five-star restaurant beat.”
“Yes, she is a mighty fine cook.”
They continued to work side by side in a comfortable silence. After all the horses were groomed, fed and the stalls mucked out, Carrie wiped her hands on her jeans and pushed a wisp of hair from her eyes. Looking down at her muddy boots, she asked in a small voice, “Who’s Jessica?”
“Oh. Um, she’s a friend of the family.”
“She texted Garrett last night. I didn’t mean to look, but he was sound asleep, and his phone wouldn’t stop beeping, so I went to clear it.”
“What did it say?”
“Hope you boys got home safe. Don’t be a stranger, Gare-bear.”
Her face flushed with embarrassment and his heart hurt for her. Damn, Jess. Leave it alone.
“She’s harmless, I promise. We bumped into her and her friend, Sasha, at the bar and just played a few rounds of darts.”
“Sasha? Was this some double date?” Her embarrassment quickly turned to fury.
Loyalty and honesty, both character traits he prided himself on and both seeming to evade him since Carrie’s arrival. He just didn’t have the heart to explain the whole thing to her.
“It was totally innocent, just old friends getting together.”
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