by BJ Wane
“Problem?” Caden drawled, mimicking his friend’s earlier concern.
Grayson shook his head. “She’s pushy, too pushy. I’ll remember that before hooking up with her again. Go on. You look like you’re itching to be somewhere else.”
Scowling, Caden swiped up his hat and tossed it on. “I’ll leave closing up to you and Connor.”
Sydney blinked, the realization something was wrong hitting her like a ton of bricks. She cast Uncle Mike an accusing look as she tried to stand. Dizziness assailed her, sending the room spinning out of control and turning her blood to ice in her veins with the sudden dread infusing her. Why did I trust him?
“What… what have… you done?” she whispered, shrugging away from the hand he reached out to her.
“I’m sorry, Sydney, really I am, but you left me no choice.” He snatched her arm with one hand while pulling a folded piece of paper from his back pocket with the other.
She shook her head, knowing what it was, what he wanted. “I… I told you… no… way…” The sharp yank on her arm to force her hand down to the coffee table where he tossed the paper drew a cry from her numb lips. She knew if he succeeded in coercing her signature, he would have her shares in their family-owned company sold before she could do anything about it. “No!” With a burst of strength born of desperation, she pulled free and stumbled toward the front door of her apartment. Why, oh why did I let him in?
He took her down before she could grab the handle, the impact with the hard wood floor jarring her body and wrenching another cry from her. The floor swam before her eyes as she struggled under his weight, his heavy breathing sending goosebumps racing over her skin. She wasn’t the only one in a distressed state.
“C’mon on, kid. Cooperate and it’ll be over. I promised I would pay you back, didn’t I?” he growled as he hauled her back on her feet.
Sydney shook her head again, flashes of her grandmother’s pain-filled face dancing in her head. Nana could never learn of her youngest son’s deceit; it would kill her. She pulled on her arm again, refusing to let him drag her back over to the table. Reaching out with her free arm for balance, she connected with the small end table lamp and, without conscious thought, grabbed hold and swung. The metal base just grazed Uncle Mike’s temple, but it was enough to draw a trickle of blood and startle him long enough for him to loosen his hold. This time, she managed to make it out the door with no thought in mind except run… run… run.
Sydney jerked awake, shaking and sweating from the nightmare that wouldn’t leave her alone, no matter how far she traveled from home. The night her Uncle Mike stopped by with a bottle of wine as a peace token to mend the bridge between them had ended with her drugged, struggling against his powerful hold as he tried to force her signature, signing the shares left to her by her mother over to him. Drowning in a gambling debt his two older brothers and mother knew nothing about, his only option, he’d been telling her for months, was to invest her shares and, with luck, turn enough of a profit to pay her back someday. She’d refused his first few, polite offers and then avoided him as much as possible after he resorted to nasty threats. His final act of drugging her and trying to force her hand ended with her fleeing in the middle of the night, aching, devastated and determined not to hurt her grandmother with what Uncle Mike had done. Nana had already suffered the trauma and grief of losing her only daughter, a tragedy followed by her husband’s untimely death just two weeks later.
Sliding out of bed on trembling legs, she stumbled into the kitchen and flipped on the small light above the sink. Gazing out into the inky darkness, her mind jumped to Caden, her imagination picturing him with that curvy blonde. She was so engrossed in her thoughts, the sudden sound of the back door swinging open startled her, causing her to fumble with the glass she’d been reaching for when she turned and saw him standing in the door.
Caden didn’t like that guilt had kept him from enjoying himself at The Barn, from seeking a willing sub to spend the evening with and that he’d sat at the bar brooding over a pair of hurt, green eyes. Connor hadn’t helped, accusing him of being too hard on Sydney, not giving enough consideration to her new arrival in the state before he’d trotted upstairs to the loft. But it wasn’t her fault, he had to remember that.
He hadn’t expected to find her up, standing in the dim light of the kitchen wearing nothing but a skimpy nightshirt hiked up to reveal the edge of pink panties as she reached for a glass with a shaking hand. “What’s wrong?” he barked, striding forward and turning her to face him. Her slender body shook under his hands on her shoulders and her face was paler than usual, but those arresting eyes snapped with green fire as she jerked away from him.
“Nothing, I got up to get a drink and didn’t hear you come in.”
“The house is well-insulated against the harsh winters. What’s wrong?” he asked again, some insane part of him needing to know despite the way she crossed her arms in a belligerent stance of stubbornness.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
The evasive shift of her eyes gave away that untruth, drawing his scowl. “Do your hands always shake when you can’t sleep?”
She avoided his question again with a point-blank one of her own. “Did you have fun with your blonde?”
Exasperated, Caden swore and demanded, “Are you going to tell me what happened to upset you?”
Sydney tilted her head and regarded him with a probing stare before asking, “Are you going to let me into your club?”
She’s like a damn dog with a bone. “No.”
“Then goodnight, Boss.”
Sydney moved to brush by him and, unable to let her go just yet, Caden gripped her arm and hauled her against him. Frustration with the entire, fucked-up night ripped through him. Fisting his free hand in her red hair, he tilted her head sideways and dipped down to nip at the soft, tender flesh of her neck. Her gasp went straight to his cock; her low moan when he stroked his tongue over the bite jerked him into a semi-erection. Lifting his head enough to coast over her lips with his, he warned in a low voice, “Be careful what you wish for, Sydney. You may just get more than you bargained for.” Before he could give into the temptation to toss her down and bury himself inside her slick heat right there on the kitchen floor, he released her and stepped back.
“Goodnight.” Caden left her standing there with a bemused expression, but that was better than the stress lining her face from whatever had kept her awake. He needed to learn to remain calm and unaffected by her, to remind himself she was just another employee, here to do a job, and that was the extent of their involvement.
Chapter 3
Sydney smiled to herself as she cleaned up the kitchen in the mess hall. She’d served homemade rolls with today’s beef stew and set out an array of desserts it had taken her all morning to bake. The guys couldn’t praise her enough, a few even offered marriage proposals in jest. Going by her boss’ scowl, she guessed Caden didn’t appreciate their humor, but Connor’s sly wink and grin said he did.
She relished the friendly banter and camaraderie today after spending Sunday mostly by herself after Caden informed her he didn’t have time to teach her to ride before taking off for Billings. Other than to approve her grocery list and grumble about feeding his meatloaf to the dogs, he had made himself scarce after returning in the late afternoon. She’d killed some time strolling around the barns and learning her way around the buildings, petting the horses in their stalls and throwing sticks for the dogs. Compared to the hustle and bustle on Saturday, the ranch had been quiet and lonely yesterday and made her enjoy the activity and noise of a working ranch even more this morning.
When the hall finally grew quiet, she stretched, more than ready for some fresh air. With luck, maybe a long walk like the one she’d taken yesterday would help her sleep well again tonight. She refused to credit Caden’s presence in the house for the previous good night’s rest. Grabbing her jacket off its hook, she slipped out into the pleasant afternoon sun and brisk breeze. She foll
owed a path of worn down grass through the closest field, making sure to keep at least one ranch building in her sights as a return guide. She caught sight of a few ranch hands working the cattle from afar and annoyance slithered under her skin when she realized her eyes kept seeking one cowboy in particular. She cursed her inability to stop pining for more attention from her boss. I’m just lonely, and horny, she repeated over and over as she increased her stride and concentrated on keeping her head averted from the fields while maintaining a visual of one barn.
An hour later, her good intentions to ward off any mishaps proved futile, as always. “Damn, damn and double damn,” Sydney cursed, trying to disentangle her snagged jeans from the barbed wire fence she had attempted to climb over after deciding she could return much faster cutting through the field. The loud pounding hooves of a horse thundering toward her drew her attention just as a painful, sharp scrape ripped through the sock covering her ankle. Shielding her eyes, Sydney groaned as she recognized Caden galloping up to her, his horse puffing from exertion.
“I should’ve known you were where you’re not supposed to be,” Caden sighed as he dismounted and tipped his Stetson back with a thumb. “Don’t tell me, you got turned around, right? You’ve been gone for hours.”
Sydney had no idea it had gotten so late in the afternoon. “No, Mr. Smarty Pants. I was attempting a shortcut but didn’t see the barbed wire until too late.” The cut stung, and she could feel blood dampening her jeans, which didn’t improve her mood.
“Hold still.” Gripping her pant leg with both hands, he ripped the bottom three inches of denim off, freeing her before he caught sight of the cut. “Son of a bitch.” Whipping out a bandana from his back pocket, he tied it around the cut and lifted her off the fence, his arms gentle, his weathered face taut with frustration. “When was your last tetanus shot?”
Sydney racked her brain and cringed. “Uh, over ten years ago.” Thinking of going to a clinic and the forms she’d have to fill out, she shook her head. “I’m fine, it’s just a scrape.”
“Out here, we don’t take chances. Let’s go.” He swung up on his huge horse and before she knew what he was about, reached down and hauled her up in front of him as if she weighed no more than twenty pounds.
Then his muscle-hard arms wrapped around her and Sydney forgot about the problems going for a doctor’s visit might cause her since she didn’t know how far her uncle might go to find her. Leaning against Caden’s wide chest distracted her from that worry and she turned her face up to his with an impish grin. “Is this my riding lesson?” she asked as he prodded the horse into a trot that bounced her on his lap in a very enticing way.
“Hell no,” he returned with a frown.
She couldn’t help it. She wanted to bask in the pleasant feeling of being held again, set aside her worries and problems and enjoy a pleasant afternoon and the nearness of one hunky rancher, which included giving in to the urge to needle him again. Gripping his thick forearm, she wiggled her butt against his crotch, liking the press of his growing erection against her soft cheeks, proving he wasn’t immune to her. Laughing, she quipped, “That’s okay. I like riding with you.”
Caden tightened his arm around her waist and snapped, “Sit still.”
Unperturbed, she shook her hair back, turned and put her mouth on his throat, his earthy scent making her ache as she taunted, “Or what?”
Shifting the reins to his hand at her waist, he gripped her hair and pulled her head back, the steed never breaking stride as he bent and nipped her lower lip. “Have I mentioned my belt?” Her instant stillness drew his chuckle. “That’s what I thought. Behave, Sydney.”
The man either had no idea what he did to her or didn’t care. Sydney ran her finger over her throbbing lip, struggling to keep from rubbing her crotch against the leather saddle to alleviate the warm ache that small sting brought about. She shuddered when she thought of how his belt would feel snapping on her bare butt, and then recalled the blonde’s contented face after Caden spanked her. Was it any wonder her boss had her tied up in knots she craved to untangle?
He had better things to do on a Monday afternoon, Caden reminded himself as he tried to ignore the way Sydney’s soft ass cushioned his hardening shaft. When she’d left for one of her walks and hadn’t returned within a few hours, he and Connor had taken out in different directions to look for her. As he would for any of his employees, he’d feared for her safety and when he’d come across her tangled in the barbed wire fence she’d foolishly tried to cross over, the relief at finding her safe switched to annoyance from the worry and trouble she’d caused him.
“You have a cell phone, don’t you? Why didn’t you call the ranch when you got into trouble?” He looked down into her flushed face and grew suspicious when she averted her eyes. The girl carried secrets he normally wouldn’t be interested in prying into. His life had been anything but normal the past few days.
“I left it in my room. Besides, like I said, I wasn’t lost.” She pointed to the top of the barn she’d been keeping a bead on and that still appeared a long ways off. “I was headed toward that building when I got caught. I could have worked my way loose without your help.”
Her excuse for worrying him was both logical and feasible, but he wasn’t buying she left her phone behind. “From now on, take your phone with you, or, better yet, limit your walks to around the buildings instead of taking off through the fields.” Caden told himself he was not disappointed when he halted Ranger at the corral next to the horse barn and lost the feel of Sydney’s soft body swaying with his as he dismounted. “Come on.” Lifting her down, he stepped back as soon as her feet touched the ground and couldn’t miss the regret crossing her face. For his sake, he wished she would be more like other women and at least try to hide her interest.
“I honestly don’t think I need to get the scrape looked at,” she protested as he clasped her elbow and led her over to his truck.
“Yes, you do.” Opening the passenger door, he waved his hand inside. “Get in. Willow Springs has a twenty-four-hour clinic.”
“Look, the truth is I’m low on funds until payday. I can’t afford a doctor’s bill.” He could tell she didn’t like being forced to make that admission. Tough.
“You’re covered under our insurance since you were hurt on our property while in our employ. Why don’t you have insurance?”
She ignored his question and hopped up onto the seat with a relieved smile. “In that case, let’s go.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Caden saw Sydney read the ‘Welcome to Willow Springs’ sign twenty minutes later and take in the population number before swiveling to face him with an amused expression. Having grown up on the ranch and gone to school in the small town, he much preferred the peace and quiet of country living to the busier lifestyle of a larger city.
“Six thousand, nine hundred and fifty-one? That’s the size of a small suburb back home.”
“And about average for the majority of towns in Montana. Where’s home?”
Her face closed down and she averted her eyes. “Missouri. That’s the motel I stayed at last night. Now I recognize where we are.”
He didn’t press her as they drove past the town square with its centuries-old renovated buildings and center bubbling fountain bracketed by towering pines. Other than the four years he spent away at college, he’d never lived anywhere else and never wanted to. Nothing could beat the relationships going back decades or the friendly ambience of such a tightly woven community. Slowing, he nodded toward the corner diner, his lips curling as he imagined Gertie, the gruff owner, and Sydney interacting.
“I’ll take you to eat there after we get done at the clinic. Best home cooking you’ll get anywhere around here. A widow, Gertie, owns it.”
Looking up at him, she cocked her head and asked, “Should I trust that grin?”
He shrugged as he drove one block over and turned. “Probably not.”
They were ushered straight back to the exam room as t
here were no other patients waiting. Sydney didn’t seem to mind her ripped jeans as she sat on the exam table swinging her legs, but he didn’t care for the blood caked on her slim ankle.
“You were lucky. Barbed wire is dangerous,” he admonished, his voice rougher than he intended.
“Then why do you use it? If it can hurt people, it can hurt your animals, and that’s mean.”
Caden should have remembered her penchant for arguing. “Not if it deters coyotes and pumas from getting to our animals.”
She blanched. “Please tell me mountain lions haven’t hurt the cows or horses.”
“Cattle, and there have been a few incidents, but luckily, one of us got off a shot before they could inflict much harm.”
The doctor entered and was all business as he cleaned and bandaged her ankle after applying an antibiotic ointment. “You’ll need a tetanus shot, so hold on a minute while I get that. Caden, how are your folks?”
“Good, thanks, Doc. They’re off on another cruise until the end of the month.”
“Excellent. That’s what retirement is about. I’ll be joining them soon, with luck, in another eighteen months or so.”
“Well, give us plenty of notice. You’ll be hard to replace.”
“Will do. Be right back.”
As soon as he left, Sydney leaned back on her hands and resumed swinging her feet. “Small towns. Everybody is always in everyone else’s business. Does the good doctor know about your kinky club?”
Leaning against the wall, he crossed his arms, trying his best to ignore the pop of pleasure her teasing produced. “We don’t advertise it, but word has gotten around over the years. Some were vocal about their disapproval at first, but now most ignore any mention of it if they find our extra-curricular activities distasteful. It’s not like we walk around town putting up flyers,” he said dryly.