by Jenny Penn
At least, not her.
Lana’s gaze dipped to where Dylan had Casey strapped into a sex seat that had been set up in the middle of the festival’s main walkway. There were several of them staged around the fairgrounds, but none with the size of crowd the Firecracker had drawn.
“They are drawing a lot of attention.” Chase finally spoke, proving that he was not only aware of Lana’s presence but also the direction of her thoughts.
It was an unnerving talent of his, and one that had once proved to her that they were meant to be. After all, Chase was not considered by most people to be insightful. He wasn’t even known for being sensitive, but Lana had seen the heart he kept hidden beneath his rough exterior.
She knew the truth.
He’d had to grow up too young, thanks to his daddy being sent to jail and his mom passing on. Chase had assumed the responsibility of providing not just for his brothers but for Patton too. Back then, of course, Patton had only been his obnoxious little sister. She wasn’t related by blood, though, and she hadn’t stayed little.
“Things didn’t work out the way you thought they would, huh?” They certainly hadn’t worked out the way she’d hoped they would.
“I didn’t have any thoughts about the matter at all,” Chase denied, cutting her a look out of the sides of his eyes as she stepped up. He didn’t look directly at her very much anymore. When he did, his gaze stayed locked on her face.
“Yeah, right,” Lana muttered, finding her soured mood lighten as she stared down at Dylan and Casey.
They really did look like a perfect match, and they were putting on quite a show. For his part, Dylan was acting like a man possessed, absolutely intent on driving the woman bound before him past all her boundaries, but that seemed like an impossible feat. The harder he tried, the more Casey begged.
Lana could see why the men had crowned her the Firecracker. Between her flushed coloring and her outrageous responses to everything Dylan did, Casey really was like a living inferno that just seemed to grow hotter, louder, and wilder by the second.
She demanded more when he whipped her cunt, moaned for it deeper when he fucked her with the handle of the flogger and screamed for it harder when he pulled it free and shoved it up her ass instead. Then Dylan was going to his knees and burying his face between her legs, causing Chase to heave a heavy sigh.
“I just didn’t want him to become distracted.”
“You invited the horniest man we both know to a sex club full of naked women and hoped he wouldn’t become distracted?” Lana had a hell of a time keeping a straight face as she asked that absurd question.
Chase didn’t have an answer. He didn’t even bother with trying to come up with one. They both knew the truth about why Chase had really called Dylan.
“Well, I didn’t expect him to turn you down.” Chase sighed as he gave up denying the obvious and turned to face her. “I mean, really, who would turn you down?”
Lana snorted, amazed that he had the audacity to even ask her that question. “I can name at least one man.”
“Lana—”
“Forget it.” She cut him off, not interested in hearing any more excuses. “It doesn’t matter anyway. Some things are just meant to be.”
And some weren’t.
“Oh, God,” Chase groaned and rolled his eyes. “Don’t start with that romantic bullshit.”
“Who knows, it could have been love at first sight.”
It had been, both for her and Dylan. They just hadn’t fallen in love with each other. That was a shame. It really would have been easier if they had, at least for her.
“What a bunch of crap.”
“You don’t—”
“You should know better than to finish that question.” Chase never had come close to being a romantic. That didn’t mean he hadn’t fallen in love.
“What about Patton?”
“I don’t think you can use her to prove your point because, unless you’ve forgotten, she was a baby when I first laid eyes on her,” Chase pointed out. “And, besides, Dylan isn’t the kind of man to fall in love that easily.”
“Okay then.” Lana conceded the point but didn’t give up the argument. “What about attraction at first sight? You believe in that, don’t you?”
“Fine. You win.” Chase held up his hands. “They’re a perfect couple. If that’s true, you better make sure nobody else gets a taste of the girl or Dylan might be likely to rip the guy’s tongue out.”
He had her with that one, and Chase knew it. He also knew how to make an exit. Pausing only long enough to shoot her a dirty look, he turned to saunter off, giving her a nice view of his tight ass. Damn the man, he looked good going.
It was just a shame that he was dense as shit.
The good-looking ones always were. Lana heaved her own heavy sigh at that thought and turned her attention back to the show Dylan was making of Casey. The two of them really did look good together. There was just something there.
It had been awakened the very second Dylan had laid eyes on the little redhead. Chase might not want to believe it, but it had been love. Instant love. Lana knew that look, knew that feeling, and knew Chase was right. She better make damn sure that nobody else got a chance to touch Casey, or Dylan really might get violent.
Chapter 8
Dylan didn’t know what lucky star was shining down on him behind the cloak of the day’s bright sunlight, but somewhere up there. somebody was watching over him. What else but fate could explain how Casey had ended up here with him? Who else could be thanked other than God when he managed to win her favors in every competition he entered?
Never one given much to prayer, Dylan offered up one of heartfelt gratitude that day. God, fate, or just luck—whatever it was, he was grateful to be so blessed as to get a taste of almost every delicious delight Casey’s body had to offer. That didn’t mean there wasn’t so much left he wanted to try.
Try, and savor.
Savor, that’s just what he planned to do, as he trailed Casey into the next booth. The attendant welcomed one and all to the best Cat Lick competition east of the Mississippi. It was a pussy-eating contest, and sure enough, as he reached the head of the line, Dylan could see Casey waiting for her turn next.
They met minutes later over yet another examination chair. Once again she was strapped down and spread eagle before him as Dylan knelt in his assigned place. The attendant quickly went through the rules, which were pretty simple.
Contestants could only use their mouths, tongue, and teeth to make their women come. First to get a taste of that sweet cream was winner. Dylan wasn’t a loser, but Casey stole his concentration as she smiled down at him.
“I know it’s you, my mystery lover. I’d know you anywhere. The feel of your hands, the heat of your breath, the very scent of the air around you…I’ll never forget.”
That soft whisper wrapped around Dylan’s heart as Casey’s words filled him a contentment that he’d never dared to believe existed. In that moment, he completely forgot about the contest. Dylan growled as the attendant rang the starting bell, offering up Casey one assurance before feasting on the creamy treat of her pussy.
“I’m right here, Firecracker.”
With that, he dipped his head and followed the intricate, flowing lines of the henna tattoos that led down the curved mound of her cunt, and he got lost in the heady taste of her arousal. She was so sweet, so addictive, and she squirmed so delightfully, her motions driven by the rapid whirl of his tongue over her clit. He circled her sensitive bud, sucking it past the hard scrape of his teeth and making her squeal loud enough to assure that every man there knew who commanded her passion.
They were chanting her name again. Dylan couldn’t help but notice that the louder their cheers grew, the hotter Casey burned. Her pussy pulsed and wept, sucking his tongue deep when he pumped it into her spasming sheath. He could feel the ripples of her release beginning to race across her velvety walls and felt his dick swell with a need to join her,
to pound into her until they were both crying out—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
“We have a winner!”
And it wasn’t Dylan. He’d completely forgotten about the contest. Now he’d lost.
Lost. Lost! Lost?
His mind just couldn’t comprehend that thought. Instead, it got stuck on it, simply repeating that word as he obeyed the attendant’s demand for all other contestants to step away from the women. In a stupor that lasted only as long as it took for him to walk away, Dylan didn’t even realize what he was doing until he heard some cheeky-ass bastard say that he was finally going to get his turn with the Firecracker.
Over Dylan’s dead body!
Turning back around with every intention of shoving the man’s teeth down his throat, he didn’t even make it a step before a hand latched onto his arm. He’d have thrown it off, but the warning that came with it had him pausing to glance over at the woman who’d materialized at his side.
“Don’t,” Lana ordered, pulling him back as she stepped past him. “I’ll take care of it.”
And she did with just a nod of her head. All it took was a look in Casey’s direction, and the attendant was pulling her out of the lineup, a fact that didn’t go over too well with the man kneeling in front of her. His gaze cut, quick and sharp, past Lana to pierce Dylan with a promise that he recognized well.
The other man was vowing retribution.
Dylan didn’t need an interpreter, and neither did he need the stakes explained to him. The other man wanted Casey, and he wasn’t going down without a fight. That was just fine with Dylan. He had no problem with putting the man down.
“Come with me.”
Lana wasn’t asking but took Dylan by the hand and all but dragged him away from the other man’s grim look. She muttered over every step she took, complaining about Dylan causing her nothing but trouble. When she had the audacity to accuse him of wearing his heart on his sleeve, Dylan had to object.
“Excuse me?” Digging in his heels, he pulled Lana to a stop so he could pin her with a pointed look. “This doesn’t have anything to do with the heart, honey, but an organ a good deal farther south than that.”
Lana rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed by his denial. “Don’t start with me, Dylan. I know you better than you think.”
“You haven’t seen me in almost ten years, woman,” Dylan reminded her, not about to give up his stance. “Whatever you think you know…it’s old news.”
“People don’t change that much,” Lana assured him before insulting Dylan in the worst kind of way. “And you were always a big-hearted fool.”
“I was not!”
That earned him another sour look from Lana, who didn’t even bother to argue the point but, instead, went for the kill. “Really? So you don’t mind if I put the Firecracker back into rotation? Maybe let another man have a taste of her?”
Dylan didn’t answer that. He didn’t dare because he might say something he regretted, like threatening Lana, but God only knew what he’d do if Lana dared to take Casey away from him.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Lana snorted and shook her head before narrowing her gaze back on him and asking with a deceptive-sounding curiosity, “Can I ask you a question, Dylan? Do you believe in love at first sight?”
“No.” Dylan didn’t even have to think about that. Love was something that built over time, kind of like an addiction.
“Then why are you so into this girl…oh,” Lana breathed out, as if the answer had just dawned on her. “You know her, don’t you?”
“She’s my neighbor,” Dylan admitted with a shrug. Casey was a hell of a lot more than that, but he didn’t think Lana needed to know all those details.
“So…you two planned this?” Lana brow wrinkled into a scowl as she worked to figure it out.
“No. In fact, I got a feeling Casey’s not going to be too thrilled to find out that I’m her mystery lover,” Dylan admitted with blunt honesty. “But she’ll get used to the notion.”
“The notion?”
“That she’s mine,” Dylan stated simply.
He didn’t question his own conviction but accepted the truth in his words. Casey was his. If he had to tie her to his bed and prove it to her, that’s just what Dylan would do. One thing was for certain. He wasn’t going to let her go. That must have been clear in either his tone or his look because Lana seemed to hear his unspoken vow.
“Well then, you might not want to piss off too many of these men,” she advised him. “Because there is nothing more they like than the challenge of taking a woman away from a man who is obsessed.”
“Obsessed? I thought you said I was in love.”
“Is there a difference?”
Dylan didn’t rightly know, didn’t really care either. What did a label really matter anyway?
“There is only one truth,” Dylan finally admitted. “Anybody else touches Casey and I’ll kill them.”
“Well,” Lana breathed out, not sounding particularly shocked by that declaration, “then I guess I better make sure nobody else touches her, huh?”
“You are my guardian angel.” Dylan smiled, realizing it wasn’t God he should be thanking, but Lana.
“Yeah? Well, until we get your collar on her, just remember she’s technically still available to any and all takers,” Lana stressed. “So try not to aggravate the situation. ’Kay?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die,” Dylan pledged.
He matched his words with actions as he made an X over his chest with his finger. Despite his solemn gesture, he couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he vowed to do no harm...sort of.
“I won’t bloody up any of your pretty boys as long as none of them touches what is mine. ’Kay?”
“It’s amazing you ain’t been killed yet,” Lana shot back, her old accent thickening her words as shook her head at him.
“Trust me, honey, they’ve tried,” Dylan assured her as he threw an arm over Lana and began leading her toward the refreshment booth.
It was time to toast their deal. While they were at it, he filled her in on the past few years and the several attempts that had been made on his life while undercover. Needless to say, they’d all been less than successful. In the end, the incidents had made for good stories.
Lana had a few of those herself. Her own life might have been a little less dangerous, but no less adventurous or exciting. While she painted a rosy picture, Dylan had been around enough blocks to figure out what she wasn’t saying. She could smile and laugh all she wanted, but he could see beneath her smiles to the hurt she tried to hide.
He didn’t call her on it, though. As much as Dylan might sympathize with Lana, there wasn’t anything he could do for her. So he kept his opinions to himself and allowed her to spin a happy tale, knowing that’s what she needed to hold on to.
He kept his smile firmly locked in place until she finally abandoned him at the Bucking Bronco booth with the promise that the Firecracker would be waiting for him at the head of the line. With that, she told him to enjoy himself and turned to walk away, taking Dylan’s gaze with her.
He felt bad for Lana and worried that he might be staring into his own future. After all, just because Casey liked fucking around with him didn’t mean she was going to fall in love with him. In fact, she had a history about as colorful and short-term as Dylan’s. Unlike Lana, though, Dylan wasn’t ready to give up the fight.
In fact, he’d only just started.
He didn’t know how long he had, but Dylan knew he was good enough to make sure Casey ended up panting his name whenever she closed her eyes and started petting herself. He was going to be her dream, her fantasy, the very thing she needed to get off.
Love was fragile. Want was binding. Dylan knew which of the two he was a master at.
With that thought, he turned to try and catch a glimpse of the latest competition he’d be entering. The line was too long, the crowd too thick for him to get a good look. The whispers rustling d
own the long line that twisted around the booth like a snake, on the other hand, were too wild to be believed, but Dylan should have known better than to question the perverseness of the Cattlemen. They were deviants of the highest order.
The challenge was called Bucking Bronco for a reason, a very obvious one Dylan learned as he finally caught a peek of the stage through the never-ending shift of men. His breath froze in his lungs as his heart seized and his eyes widened over the sight of a woman bent over a saddle and strapped down while a man behind her rode her ass as the platform shifted and whipped the couple from side to side. It was a mechanical bull ride with the ladies as the heifers.
Dylan knew that thought would have gotten him smacked every day of the week by Casey if he’d had the balls to say it aloud. That didn’t change the fact that a half-hour later she was being escorted past his nose and strapped down before him. Then the attendant was slapping a condom into Dylan’s hands and assuring him that the woman had been lubed up.
He didn’t want to think about how that had happened, but concentrating on what was about to happen had Dylan hands shaking too much to rip the foil open. Forcing himself to take a deep breath and steady his fingers, he concentrated real hard, finally managing to sheathe his dick in the too-tight latex.
It was a challenge, though, to roll it down his cock without making the damn thing go off. Dylan had never been this hard or in this much pain, and he could only pray that he lasted long enough to actually get inside Casey before he embarrassed himself.
The little pixie was bent over the saddle with her ass arched high into the air. Given her position and what was to come next, Dylan would have expected her to show some kind of anxiousness, but Casey was far from being intimidated. In fact, she was giggling and wiggling those sweet cheeks in a bold invitation that had the crowd going wild.
Just as he noticed before, she seemed to love the attention. It made her burn hotter and cream harder, proving that she was more than just a pervert. She was also an exhibitionist.