One Hard Ride

by M. M. Bordeaux

  “City girl, I think it’s time you learn about southern hospitality.” Buck was leaning against the back of an older model pickup, chewing on a toothpick. His hat was slanted down to his eyebrows and his arms were casually crossed over his chest.

  She turned away and quickly walked between two trucks into another lane. Buck was quicker and in seconds he grabbed her, slamming one hand hard over her mouth to silence her scream. She bit down hard and tasted blood, but she wasn’t sure if it was from her split lip or his bitten hand. She glanced around, hoping for help, but quickly realized she was on her own. Flailing at him with both hands, she tried to hit his face with her fists, but couldn’t connect. Opening her fingers, she clawed at him with her fingernails and managed to rake a bloody set of furrows down one cheek.

  “You bitch!” Buck growled quietly, slapping the side of her head with his free hand. The blow shot crackles of electricity across her field of vision and she was suddenly too dazed to fight back or even stand up.

  Keeping one hand on her mouth, Buck put his other hand behind her neck, literally lifting her off the ground. Swinging her around, he set her on the lowered tailgate of a nearby truck. The pain in her neck and jaw was excruciating. Amanda tried to cry out, but Buck kept his hand tight over her mouth, barely letting her breathe. Pulling her to the edge of the tailgate, he twisted her body until she was bent at the waist over the metal. Shoving one knee between her legs, he pressed her down, pinning her to the bed of the pickup, her legs dangling on each side of his knee.

  “Stop wiggling, you little cunt! Wait’ll I get my dick in you. Then you can shake your ass all you want.”

  Buck kept one hand tight over her mouth, while the other reached up under her skirt to grab the waistband of her panties. With a jerk, he ripped the thin silk band in two. The panty split on one side and dropped down her leg to rest on top of her boot.

  She was filled with revulsion and fear but she was furious, too. She might not be strong enough to keep Buck from raping her but she was goddamn sure going to try. He let go of her neck and she felt him struggling, trying to get his cock out of his jeans. She grabbed with both hands and pulled his fingers away from her mouth enough to bite him again. He yelled a curse and slapped her on the side of her head again, and this time she knew it was his blood she tasted.

  The blows had staggered her, making her dizzy, but she still fought back, flailing with her arms behind her trying to land a blow. Finally she did connect and Buck grunted in pain. “You fucking cunt. Maybe I should wring your neck after I fuck you. He reached forward and grabbed a handful of her thick curls, jerking her head back, stretching her neck as he leaned forward. “You ready, city girl? You ready for a Buck fuck?”

  His bloody hand squeezed tighter over her mouth, so tight she worried he might break her jaw. The pain was so intense, she began to cry and soon she could barely breathe, could do nothing more than scream against his flesh. But then it was Buck who screamed, the earsplitting cry of agony of a man who’d been kicked hard in his nuts.

  She gasped as Buck let go of her mouth and sucked air as deeply into her lungs as she could, then expelled it in a scream. Free of Buck’s clutches, Amanda stumbled away from the bed of the pickup and turned to run, another hysterical scream on her lips. Behind her she heard the sickening sounds of fist against flesh, the crunch and crack of dislocated and broken bones.

  She turned, catching her breath, her scream fading to a gasp as she watched blood splatters sparkle in the parking lot lights, spraying from Buck’s broken nose and from his mouth highlighting three missing teeth. One eye was already swollen shut and the other had a wild, fearful look.

  Amanda expected to see Luke or maybe one of the roadhouse bouncers. But it was Jake. Jake standing with his fists clenched, legs apart, ready to kill the man who was now down on his knees, swaying back and forth, barely upright.

  “Oh God, Jake!” She whispered. He glanced at her, and then looked back at Buck, at the bloodied face and the dislocated bones. The man’s penis, still hanging out of his fly, was now soft and small. She looked at Jake, suddenly realizing what he intended to do. Before he could follow through, Skeeter grabbed his shoulder and turned him around just in time to save the badly beaten Buck from losing his manhood.

  “That’s enough Jake.” Skeeter held tightly to Jake’s shoulder.

  “I’ll kill him if he tries anything like that again.”

  “Just take care of the lady. I’ll take care of this bastard.” Skeeter picked the barely conscious Buck up by his belt and the seat of his pants and tossed him in the bed of a pickup, then dialed his cell. He turned to Amanda. “A County Sheriff’s deputy will be here in a few minutes,” Skeeter said. “If you want to give me your statement, I can arrest him for assault and attempted rape. The deputy can haul his sorry ass to the hospital and on to jail after they patch him up.”

  “You can arrest him?” Amanda thought maybe the blow had rattled her brains.

  Skeeter smiled. “I’m a Texas Ranger. This is just a side job for extra cash. I arrested Buck three months ago for assaulting a girl over in Travis County. I know he’s on probation. This time, I’m sure he’ll end up in jail.”

  Jake stood next to Amanda while she told Skeeter what happened. When she finished, Skeeter asked Jake if he had anything to add.

  “Only that the next time I see the son of a bitch, there won’t be a Texas Ranger to keep me from kicking his nuts up his asshole.”

  “I won’t word it quite that way,” Skeeter said with a grin, slipping his notebook back into his pocket.

  Jake turned to Amanda. “Are you sure you’re okay? Did the bastard hurt you?”

  She blinked back the tears she felt welling up, then shook her head and wiggled her jaw back and forth. “I’m okay. I think he might’ve split my lip a little.” She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, searching for the cut.

  Jake took off his leather vest and draped it over her shoulders. “Sorry I don’t have anything warmer. And this looks like it has a bit of blood on it.”

  “Not yours, I hope,” she said.

  “No, I’m okay. Except for my knuckles.”

  She held one of his hands, examining the damage his knuckles had suffered. “We need to get you home and take care of this. How did you know the bastard had me anyway?”

  “I saw you walking through the lot when I drove in. By the time I got parked, you weren’t there so I came looking for you. Sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”

  “Thank God you got to me at all. Do you realize this is the second time you’ve rescued me today? First from a bull. Now from a bull rider.” She looked at him, her eyes glistening wetly. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  He studied her seriously for a moment, then smiled. “Maybe we should go find Luke and Julie. Let them know you have another ride home.”

  “Do I?” She studied his face.

  “Of course you do. If you want one.”

  “I do.” She held out her arms.

  He lifted her off the truck and held her steady as she stood up. “You okay?”

  “Yep. I’m fine. Let’s go find Julie.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Once she assured the concerned cowgirl that everything was fine, Amanda told Julie she was riding home with Jake.

  “No problem,” Julie said. “If Luke gets lucky, I can always find another ride home.”

  As they were leaving, Julie handed Amanda her phone. When she checked her messages, she was excited to find one from Chi. “Most interested. Pick me up at the Circle W Ranch tomorrow at noon. Confirm by text or e-mail. Chi.” She smiled brightly as she read the message.

  “What’s up?” Jake asked.

  “I can’t say yet.” Or won’t, she thought. “I have a client who wants to see me tomorrow. Wants me to pick him up at a ranch called the Circle W.”

  “That’s Billy Walker’s place,” Julie said. “About forty miles east of us. It’s easy to get to.”

  “My client is Chinese,�
�� Amanda said, “but lives in Santa Fe when he’s in the States. I don’t know why he wants to meet me at the Circle W.”

  “Well, they’ve got a landing strip.” Jake said. “Maybe he’s flying down. Walker lets people use the strip.”

  “That’s it!” She was beaming. “Chi has his own plane. A twin engine something or other. I’ll need to drive over and pick him up, if you can give me directions.”

  “I’ll drive over with you,” Julie offered. “I want to talk to Walker about our new foal.”

  Jake obviously wanted to know more about the man coming to visit Amanda, but didn’t ask. He just said, “Invite him for lunch at the ranch. And supper, if he plans to stay that long.”

  “Thanks,” she said happily. “I will.”

  ****

  As Jake helped Amanda up into the cab of his truck, her tiny fringed skirt rode up, giving him a peek at her bare bottom. An ugly bruise now marred the milky skin on the inside of her thigh, reminding him of just how rough Buck had been with her. He admired the way she had been fighting like a wildcat when he showed up, but there was no way she could have gotten away from the bastard. He would love to have another ten minutes alone with the son of a bitch.

  On the ride home, he reached over and laid his hand on the smooth skin of her thigh. She laid her hand on top of his but, at her touch on his ripped knuckles, he winced. She jerked her hand back.

  “No, it’s okay.” He patted her leg. “It’s okay.”

  She laid her hand back, resting it on his as softly as she could. When they parked the truck and walked up the steps to the lodge, he held her elbow as if to steady her.

  “I’m okay Jake,” she said. “I’m much better now.”

  Jake unlocked the front door. He carefully steered her through the entry into the main room and then walked beside her up the stairs to the second floor. At the top he took her arm and gently turned her toward him. He looked into her eyes for a long moment, and then leaned down to kiss her gently, trying not to hurt her cut lip. He pulled back and looked at her.

  Even in the dim hall nightlight she looked a mess. Her lip was split, her cheek was bruised and her hair was a stringy mop. Her sexy top had been torn and was splattered with blood. His heart ached for what had happened to her. But at the moment, even in the mess she was in, she was beautiful. He had saved her pretty ass from serious danger twice in one day and he could think of nothing he would rather do than take her to his room and wrap his arms around her, protecting her.

  She looked up, studying his face. “Thank you again for the rescue.”

  He smiled, holding her in his arms for a moment. His care and concern for her had opened a door to a room full of feelings he hadn’t expected. Feelings that went deeper than desire and physical pleasure. “I believe we had a date tonight.” He glanced at his watch. “There are still a few hours left of the night. Don’t go to your room. Come with me to mine.”

  “I thought you wanted a rain-check on our date.”

  “I’ve decided to cash it in.”

  “I’m really a mess,” she said, cringing as she touched her face and messy hair. “I need a long, hot shower.”

  “I’ve got a shower.” Jake hoped his perseverance would pay off.

  “I don’t have anything to sleep in.”

  “Get something from your room. Better yet, we’ll both sleep naked.

  She sighed. “You’re about to wear me down. But, honestly, I’m not in a very sexy mood. I’m really worn out.”

  “I know you are. That’s okay. Come to my room anyway.”

  Amanda stared up at him. He could see the question in her eyes, her hesitation. He knew if she agreed to spend the night with him without having sex, it would mean a major shift in their relationship. It might be a shift to be avoided, a silent declaration of feelings they had agreed not to express. After all, as a practical matter, in a day or two she would be gone. Gone from the ranch, gone from Texas, gone from the swirling maelstrom of uninhibited sex she had stirred up. It didn’t matter. At the moment, all he wanted was to hold her in his arms and protect her.

  He smiled when she gave in. “All right,” she said. “I guess we did have a date, didn’t we?”

  “Indeed we did,” he said, his arms still wrapped around her. And practical matters be damned.

  Jake let her shower first, watching the stars from the balcony until she was through. When she came out of the shower wrapped in one of his big bath towels, he set her down on the edge of the bed to get a good look at her cut lip.

  “I don’t think it will scar,” he said. “I’d put some antiseptic on it, but I’m afraid you would just lick it off.”

  She grinned, wincing a bit when the grin stretched her lip. “It’s okay. I’ll just be careful who I kiss for a while.”

  Hoping her attempt at humor was a good sign, he left her sitting on the edge of the bed while he quickly showered and then spent some time doctoring the ripped skin on his knuckles. When he came out of the bathroom twenty minutes later, she was curled up on the bed and fast asleep. Amanda had fallen over where she sat, losing the towel and laying naked half on and half off the bed.

  He turned down the covers, picked her up, and laid her on one side of the king-size bed. He moved carefully, not wanting to wake her, but he quickly realized how exhausted she was.

  Jake slid into bed beside her, lying on his back with his hands behind his head. In the past, the ranch had seen eventful days—like the day the hay barn burned down or the day a twister killed one of his favorite horses. But there had never been a day like this. He looked at the pretty brunette lying beside him, her complexion glowing in the moonlight. How the hell could one woman get into so damn much trouble? In one day?

  Of course, the sex that they’d had at the cabin hadn’t been any trouble. No trouble at all.

  As if she knew he was thinking about her, Amanda stirred, stretching and then turning on her side, her back to him. He felt himself stirring as well, his aching cock growing hard as he remembered how passionately she had responded at the cabin.

  Turning on his side, he spooned up against her back. He slipped an arm around her carefully, his hand cupping one bare breast, as his erection pressed against her firm, round ass.

  ****

  Amanda woke up to the crow of a barnyard rooster. Jake was snuggled up against her back, his erection pressing firmly against her bottom. He had one arm over her waist, reaching up to hold her breast, and he was sound asleep. She slowly eased the covers up and off, trying not to wake him as she slid from the mattress for a quick trip to bathroom. When she returned, he had turned onto his back. His cock, hard and erect, tented the sheet. She grinned and opened the nightstand drawer where he kept the condoms. She took one and opened it, then gently lifted the sheet up off his body, careful not to wake him. When his cock was uncovered, she slowly rolled the condom down over his erection. Once the condom was on, she straddled his hips. Grasping his shaft, she used the tip of his cock to gently manipulate her clit, causing her pussy to spasm and her juices to cover his dick’s engorged head. When she could take no more teasing, she slid herself down on his cock.

  As she slowly impaled herself on her sleeping lover, she reached down and lightly rubbed her clit, making herself wetter and that much closer to climax. By the time she had half of his cock in her pussy, she saw him trying to hide a grin and knew he was awake.

  “Good morning,” she said, releasing a long sigh as she settled herself completely over his erection and slowly thrust her hips back and forth.

  “Oh, it definitely is. A very good morning. One of the best I’ve ever had.” He reached down and grabbed her waist, then let his hands slide down to her bottom, squeezing her ass cheeks as she rocked over his cock. She felt his arousal building with hers, felt him lifting his hips to meet each of her downward thrusts. It was exciting to see him respond to her body, and she shifted her hips faster, unable to maintain a slow, deliberate pace.

  They made love passionately, urgently,
needing the orgasms postponed the night before. Jake came first, obviously inspired by the sight of Amanda straddling him while she squeezed her breasts and nipples with one hand and stroked her swollen clit with the other. When he came, groaning and erupting into her with pulsing spasms, she ground her pussy down over his cock, needing to feel as deeply connected to him as possible.

  As his orgasm subsided, he looked up at her with a sheepish grin. “God, I really needed that. Sorry I couldn’t wait for you. You had me so damned aroused.”

  “Don’t worry. My turn’s coming.” She slid the cum-filled condom from his cock and disposed of it, then reached in the nightstand for a new one. “I’m glad you have a drawer full of these. We may need a bunch before we’re through.”

  “And I may need a few minutes to recharge before I’m ready for another one.”

  “Maybe I can help out a little,” Amanda said, scooting down on the bed until her lips were just above Jake’s flaccid cock. She looked up to see him watching her and grinned. “Lay back and close your eyes, cowboy. I’ll be busy down here for a minute or two.”

  Amanda leaned down and swirled her tongue around the head of his soft cock, wetting the velvet smooth corona. She took the head in her mouth, getting it slippery with saliva before sliding her lips down the length of the shaft. By the time her lips touched his pubic hair at the base, she could feel the shaft growing harder. Holding his cock in one hand, she jacked him off while she alternated between sucking the tip and lathing his testicles with her tongue. In a matter of minutes, his shaft was hard as a rock again.

  She raised up and grinned at the look of pleasure on his face. “Like that?” she asked.

  “Oh yeah. A lot.”

  “Next time, I want you to come in my mouth. But right now, you need to fuck me.” She took the new condom and tore open the foil, then put the unwrapped condom in her mouth. She positioned it over the head of Jake’s cock and used her compressed lips to roll it down the full length of the rigid shaft.