Bridling Lucy (Horse Mountain Shifters Book 3)

by Sierra Brave

  “Stay put.” He parked before walking around to get the door for her.

  As he helped her down, her cheeks flushed and the irises of her bright blue eyes dilated. “I can get out on my—“

  He cut her off. “It’s just how it’s done around here. Men are raised to treat women a certain way.”

  She nodded as she looked up at him. Without the scowl she’d been sporting since he’d first set his gaze on her, she had a pretty face with high cheekbones, rosy cheeks and plump pink lips accentuating her porcelain skin. The image of him kissing her flashed in his mind and he looked away. Nope…just stop. She’s trouble, and I don’t do drama.

  He walked her to the office and introduced her to Becky. “Where’s Davis?”

  “He’s checking on something in the stable, but don’t worry, I’ll be showing Lucy around the place and letting her know what’s expected of her.”

  “Alright then.” He gave her a subtle nod before turning to his charge. “I’ll be here to pick you up at five p.m. Do a good job.”

  “I will,” she promised before he returned to his vehicle.

  As he cranked the engine, he breathed in the scent she’d left lingering in the cab and sighed. What the fuck is going on with me today? He scratched his head before backing out of his parking space.

  During a short chat, while Becky finished plugging some numbers into a spreadsheet on her computer, Lucy learned the woman wasn’t just a receptionist but an office dynamo responsible for bookkeeping, events scheduling and serving as a liaison between the employees at the lodging section and those who worked directly with the horses.

  They took a golf cart across the grounds to what Becky referred to as the pavilion which looked like a sprawling, stained-wood house with a burgundy tin roof. As Lucy followed her inside to a common area a few feet away from the dining area, the smell of coffee, hotcakes, and maple syrup hung in her nostrils. She peeped through a set of open, double doors, and saw the staff clearing off some tables.

  “Howdy, Y'all,” Becky greeted a group of guests as they filed out. The ones who weren’t too busy chattering about their plans for the day smiled and waved in return. One white-haired old man patted his stomach and complimented the food. “Wonderful! I’m so glad you’re enjoying your stay.” After the patrons exited the building, she returned her attention to Lucy. “Wait here a second while I find someone to get you all set.

  Once Becky walked away, Lucy stood alone amidst the people milling around. A lot of them were dressed in western-style gear and every elementary school-aged child she saw sported a straw cowboy hat with a red sheriff’s star. Geez, they must hand those things out or something. She glanced around, taking in the hardwood floors and pine beam ceilings.

  To her right, a leather couch with blue, green, and beige-colored Santa Fe patterned pillows, provided seating for a couple of teenaged girls as they texted on cell phones. “I can’t believe this is the only Wi-Fi hotspot for guests.”

  “I know! Right?” The second girl frowned.

  Lucy tried not to scowl as she heard the two complaining. They don’t know how lucky they are. When I was their ages, I worked at least thirty hours every week, and family vacations were a luxury I was never afforded. She turned her head so neither of the little brats would see her roll her eyes.

  A few seconds later, a tall, thin woman with the same shade of auburn hair as the girls entered the seating area and scolded them. After listening to them groan, the woman put a hand on her hip. “It’s time to go riding. Put them away now or I take them.” After a bit of hesitation, the girls got up and followed the woman out the door.

  Lucy spied some framed black-and-white photos near the exit and went in for a closer look. Most of them appeared to be from rodeo competitions but a few of them were of groups of people on horseback. She sighed as she looked down at the tricolored cowhide rug on the floor between the couch and some matching chairs.

  Becky returned with another woman. “This is Sal. She’s going to show you the ropes today.”

  Sal eyed her up and down for a moment as if sizing her up. As she pursed her lips, the deep wrinkles around her mouth became more prominent and pockets showed under her tired, brown eyes “Follow me. I’ll get you an apron before we walk over to set up your cart.”

  “Mind if I use the ladies first?” Lucy offered a smile in response to the woman’s frown.

  “There’s a staff-only bathroom. Go through the dining room and all the way through the kitchen. Then there will be a small hallway and it’s back there. Hurry up and met me here as soon as you’re done.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” She hurried off in the direction Sal had pointed. Breakfast must have been over because the dining room looked nearly empty with only the clean-up crew left to bus and wipe down the tables. She hoofed it through the area, passing a beverage section with offerings of coffee, tea, juice, and milk before pushing open the kitchen door. A man washing dishes at a nearby sink looked up for a second and nodded. She smiled. “Bathroom?”

  He tilted his head to the left and her gaze followed until she saw the door. “Thanks.” She headed through it and into the promised hallway where she found two more closed doors. She opened the first one. Supply closet. Must be this one. She turned the knob and entered. Once she located the light switch, she learned the facilities were small and built for one-at-time rather than containing several stalls. Thank God!

  Lucy locked the door behind her before yanking down her shorts and underwear. She turned her back to the mirror hung above the sink and looked over her shoulder as she rubbed her aching backside. As she caught a glimpse of her reflection, her eyes widened. Her right cheek was red and slightly bruised while the left was a bright pink shade and showed the remnants of a handprint.

  She huffed angrily, fighting tears as the shame and humiliation came rushing back to her. Who the hell does that man think he is? Until roughly twenty minutes ago, she hadn’t been spanked since she was a nine-year-old. Damn him.

  While rewinding the events in her brain, she recalled how easily he’d yanked her over his lap and the heat from his heavy hand on her flesh. A jolt of arousal stirred between her legs and she licked her lips. Her thoughts conjured his handsome face and the memory of how well his sexy ass filled out his uniform trousers when she’d watched him walk out of the office. Shit! Snap out of it, dummy! She tapped the side of her head with the bottom of her palm.

  Lucy used the toilet and washed her hands as fast as she could before hightailing it back to Sal. The middle-aged housekeeper seemed none too happy to have been left waiting but didn’t say as much before leading her out of the pavilion and over to the guest bungalows.

  Lucy did her best to pay attention to Sal’s instructions, but her brain kept betraying her with thoughts of Chance and the punishment he’d given her. Even the soreness of her bottom couldn’t deter her from wondering what his kisses would taste like. She imagined him holding her in his arms close to his chest.

  The snapping of fingers right in front of one of her eyes startled her back to reality, and she heard Sal’s gravelly smoker’s voice. “Hello? Are you listening to me?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Lucy lied. “You were telling me where to take the dirty linens after we change the beds.”

  Sal leaned in and sniffed her before drawing back with a raised eyebrow. “Girl, you’re twitterpated.”

  “Twitter? Huh?” Lucy lifted her arm and took a whiff. “I don’t stink.”

  The maid shook her head. “Nah, I just checked to see if you were one of my kind. Not everyone around here smells like we do.”

  So Sal’s a shifter…I wonder what kind? She sort of walks like a duck.

  “You feelin' strange?” The older woman smoothed her apron over her boxy figure before straightening the short, brown ponytail held low by her nape with a blue elastic hair tie.

  Lucy tilted her head while shrugging. “I don’t understand what you’re asking me.”

  The other woman laughed. “Enjoy it while
it’s new. Only happens once in a lifetime and that’s only if you’re lucky. I’m going to start on the south side room. You get to work here, and I’ll check back on you in in a bit.” She continued to snicker to herself as she walked out the door.

  “Okay.” Lucy put on a pair of rubber gloves as she watched her co-worker move further away. Crazy old bat.

  After having muddled through his workday in a haze of distraction, Chance arrived at the ranch hoping for the best but prepared for the worst. He took off his hat before walking in the office. Davis greeted him with a smile. “What’s happening, bud?”

  Lifting an eyebrow, he tilted his head as he replied, “Just doing my duty. So…did you know what your Gram was going to ask of me ahead of time?”

  Davis smirked. “Maybe.”

  “Not cool, man. Not cool at all.” He pursed his lips and shook his head. “So how’d she do?”

  “Well, none of the bungalows are on fire so as far as I know, she did okay. Hold up, and I’ll call over and ask someone.”

  “Becky gone for the day?” Chance glanced at the empty chair behind her desk as Davis punched some buttons on the phone.

  He covered the mouthpiece with his hand. “Yep, she picks her granddaughter up from school in the afternoons.” He put the phone on speaker, and on the second ring, a woman answered, “Banks Horse Ranch, this is Marsha. How may I help you?”

  “Hey Marsha, how’d the new girl do today?”

  “Her…oh, I just sent her off for the day. She’s walking toward the office.”

  “Did she do a good job?”

  After a slight pause, Marsha spoke in a high, twangy tone. “Well…Sal said she was very distracted so she had to check behind her on everything and there were a few mistakes Sal had to fix, but I’m sure she’ll get the hang of it soon.”

  Chance motioned for Davis’s attention. “What about her attitude?”

  Davis relayed the question to Marsha. “She wasn’t exactly jumping for joy, but she seemed fine…sort of quiet. It takes a little time for some people to warm up.”

  “Okay, thanks, Marsha.” Davis hung up. “There ya go.”

  Chance frowned while rubbing his chin. He’d promised her a worse spanking than the one she’d already gotten if she screwed up. She hadn’t done terrible, but it seemed as if she hadn’t put much effort or pride into her work. He didn’t really want to punish her, but if he failed to follow through on his warning, Lucy would think she could run all over him. He let out a loud stress sigh.

  Davis’s muffled snickering drew his attention. He had balled up his fist and pressed his knuckles against his lips to keep from howling with laughter. “You okay?”

  Chance groaned. “You have somewhere private where I can give her a good…talking to?”

  “Umm…” Davis raised an eyebrow. “What kind of chat y'all gonna have? If it’s the type where some of my guests might hear a ruckus, I can’t allow that.”

  Chance tapped his chin with the tip of his index finger. “True…that won’t do.”

  “You planning on taking her straight back to Gram’s?” Davis sat on the edge of Becky’s desk.

  “That’s the plan.” Chance absently tidied up the surface, stacking some sticky notes and placing a couple of stray pens in her desk organizer.

  “Perfect. There’s a woodshed behind the house.”

  His eyes widened as he lifted his head and looked at Davis’s face. “Are you serious?”

  “Unless it’s been torn down since I last stacked wood in there…which I highly doubt.” The cowboy gritted his teeth and shuddered. “Even all these years later, still makes my butt hurt just thinking about it.”

  Chapter Five

  Silence lingered between Lucy and Chance for the first few moments of the ride back to Mrs. Banks’ place so she took the opportunity to look him over. She’d yet to find anything unattractive about him. His high cheekbones, strong jawline, Roman nose, and deep-set eyes came together to form an overall picture of masculine perfection. His broad shoulders and muscular body were even better.

  “How do you think your first day went?” His voice low and husky voice broke the spell she’d been under.

  As she looked away, her stomach turned a tiny flip. She glanced down at her hands while she nervously rubbed the pad of her thumb over the nail of her pinky finger. “I guess it went okay.”

  “Okay?” His deep brown eyes seemed to practically accuse her of screwing up.

  “Well, it was my first day…I might have a bit of a learning curve.”

  “Can you honestly say you tried your hardest to do your best work?”

  Lucy’s mind flashed back to all the accolades she’d received at from prior employers and thought about how she usually put her whole heart into her job performance. She’d always strived to please her supervisors as well, but today, she hadn’t given a thought to the people she’d been serving, her bosses or even to how much extra work she’d caused for Sal. The only thing on her mind had been the man seated next to her. She spent a lot of her day remembering how good he smelled and thinking about the heat created by her body while she was over his lap. Most of all, she’d wondered what it would be like if he spanked her again.

  She felt bad about her lackluster showing at the ranch, but Chance’s disappointed expression really kicked her in the gut. She pursed her lips and shook her head as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. “No. I could have done a lot better.”

  “I see…do you remember what I told you would happen if you did poorly?”

  She nodded, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as the area between her legs pulsed with arousal. “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too.” Based on his tone, she believed him.

  Once they arrived at the matriarch’s house, Chance led Lucy around back, and sure enough, he found a small woodshed with a couple of windows and a door. He glanced at Lucy, noting the contrite look on her face as well as the fresh tears on her rosy cheeks. For a moment, he nearly lost his resolve, but then he remembered she’d agreed she had this spanking coming to her. If he backed down, she’d lose respect for him. “After you.” He held out his hand toward the tiny structure.

  Lucy took a deep breath but soon began her dreadful trek albeit at a snail’s pace. Her hand shook as she unlatched and then opened the door. Chance followed her inside and found a small window on the roof coupled with the ones he’d noticed on the sides of the shed provided a decent amount of light. One side of the building held the start on a woodpile, but someone, likely Davis or Abram, would have to get cracking before winter to keep Mrs. Carolyn’s wood-burning stove blazing. On the wall opposite of the kindling, a few tools hung from pegs—mostly standard stuff: an ax, a shovel, and a rake but one item stood out, a wide, thick, leather razor strap display at the far end.

  He reached out to touch the antique and was surprised to find the leather supple and oiled. Being hauled off to the matriarch for “the strapping of your life” was a common parental warning among shifters, but Chance didn’t know anyone whose mama or daddy had actually followed through on the threat. About a foot and a half away from the wall, someone had set up a padded carpenter’s horse, leaving little doubt that a few bottoms had been busted there.

  “Are you going to use that on me?” Her voice brought his attention to her face as her pretty blue eyes widened and rounded while her lips twisted in horror.

  “I don’t reckon your offense warrants anything quite so harsh. I do think you need to be bare bottomed or maybe even nude to receive your discipline. Do you consent?”

  As she nodded, his head jerked back. He pursed his lips and studied her face. He’d expected her to balk, but she hadn’t so much as blinked. He rubbed the back of his neck as his pulse reacted. She smelled incredible, and she really was a gorgeous, little filly but at several years his junior, she was too young for him to be anything more than a mentor to her.

  “You sure? I’ll see everything—not just your bottom. I’m going to spank you either way, b
ut I won’t force you to take your clothes off.”

  “I’ll do what you think is best.” She blushed as she looked down at the floor.

  “Alright then; since you’re taking this so well, I’ll give you a warm up with your shorts on. Get over that saw horse with your butt high in the air.”

  “I got it.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me? Didn’t I tell you to speak with respect?”

  “I’m sorry, Sir.”

  He nodded. “Much better.”

  As she positioned her body for discipline, the hem of her shorts pushed up exposing some of her ass. Chase’s heart galloped and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile. Hot damn! He took a moment to appreciate the sight of her broad, plump ass and thick thighs. As his cock stirred beneath the zipper of his trousers, he snapped out of his lustful stupor. This is about disciplining a wayward young lady, nothing else.

  He placed his palm on her bottom and rubbed her cheeks over her pants. The first swat landed with a thwack, but Lucy didn’t make a peep. He popped her a little harder, and she arched her back as if offering up an invitation. Chance rained down smacks, spreading the pain over her entire ass until the cheeks hanging out of her shorts glowed a light pink hue. She remained quiet but wiggled her bottom as if she were trying to shake away the heat.

  “Now get up and face me.” She stood up straight and turned around. As she started to unbutton her pants, he slapped her hands away. “You don’t take control. I decided what comes off and when.”

  “Yes, Sir.” Her voice was meek and breathy. Her eyes were dilated and her cheeks were flushed.

  “Good. He reached out and popped the button open before pulling down her zipper. He knelt as he yanked her shorts down past her hips and let them drop to her feet. He didn’t want her to take off her shoes in case there were any stray nails or splinters in the shed so he helped her balance as he maneuvered the garment over her Keds. He smirked at her white panties and their illustrations of corgis as he rubbed his thumb across one of the cartoon canines. “Do you have a dog?”