Cowboy Doms Collection

by BJ Wane

  Sydney returned his grin and then paled as the doctor entered carrying a needle. “Don’t worry, I’m good at giving shots. You won’t even feel it.” Before she could argue, he had her sleeve pushed up and the shot administered. “There, not so bad, was it?” He placed a bright yellow Band-Aid over it.

  Moving her arm around, she beamed at him. “Pretty good, Doc. Thank you.”

  Clapping Caden on the shoulder, he opened the door for them. “You’re welcome. Be careful from now on.”

  “See, I’m not the only one who lectures,” Caden said as he boosted her back into the truck.

  Sydney was relishing Caden’s grip on her waist and the light in his blue eyes too much to answer. She ogled his loose-limbed stride as he rounded the truck to the driver’s side, his rugged profile shadowed by his Stetson, her lips twitching to explore his thick, corded neck. Thank goodness she had her infatuation and lust for the man to distract her from her uncle’s nefarious manipulations and the heavy ache of missing her family.

  As he slid behind the wheel, her stomach took that moment to rumble, reminding her of his offer of dinner that had pleased her so much. Casting her a sidelong look, he drove back toward the town square she’d only caught a glimpse of earlier. “Dale’s Diner it is.”

  “It’s a good thing I have a stew in the crock pot for dinner for Connor and the other guys. If you want to call your brother, tell him it’s ready whenever they want to eat. Oh!” She smiled as he turned into the quaint, cobblestoned square with its century-old city buildings, small shops and center fountain bracketed by towering pines and wooden benches. “It’s like stepping into the past. I love old buildings. Please tell me the restoration didn’t strip away the inside character.”

  Parking in front of the corner diner, he shook his head and cut the engine. “No, everything was preserved that could be and the town gets some added revenue from guided tours during the warmer tourists’ months. Come on, I’m as hungry as you.”

  An oldies tune from the fifties greeted them as Caden held the door for her. A far cry from the five-star fancy restaurant she had worked at in St. Louis, the diner nonetheless appealed to Sydney. She could see right away this was the place everyone gathered to trade gossip over a burger and shoot the breeze with neighbors. A sixty-something, short, round woman bustled back and forth behind a long counter lined with red, padded stools. Looking up, she scowled as she set a plate in front of a customer.

  “What brings you into town this time of day? Never mind. Don’t wait on me to seat you, I’m short-handed.”

  Sydney smiled up at Caden. “I like her.”

  His lips quirked as he replied, “I thought you would. Let’s grab that booth.”

  As she slid onto the seat, she listened to her boss greet people he knew with a wave or a few words and saw another side to him that she liked. “Do you know everybody?” she asked as he took a seat across from her.

  “It’s a small community. I recommend the special, which is a roast beef sandwich, onion rings and green beans, but you can’t go wrong with anything you choose. Hey, Barbara.” He smiled at the waitress who handed them menus.

  “Caden, how’s it going?”

  “Good. This is my new cook, Sydney Baker.”

  “Nice to meet you. If you get tired of slaving for this guy and his crew, we can always use an extra hand around here.”

  “Thank you. If my boss’ crankiness gets on my nerves too much, I might do that.” She sent Caden an innocent look, which he met with a bland expression.

  “Quit giving me a reason to get cranky,” he returned smoothly. “I’ll have the special, Barbara.”

  “Make it two.”

  “You got it. How are your parents, Caden? I haven’t seen them in here lately.”

  A wave of homesickness filled Sydney as she watched his face soften, his eyes lighten as he talked about his family. “They’re off on another trip, this time with Dad’s brother and sister-in-law, and I’m sure none of them are giving any of us a thought. The cousins all showed up at the barbeque last month.”

  “I’m sorry I missed it this year. Sick kids. I’ll get this turned in.”

  Thinking of her own cousins, Sydney’s chest constricted. She was closest to Leigh and Ashley, who were her age, and she’d hated telling them the fabricated story of supporting a fictitious friend going through a rough divorce as much as it hurt her to deceive her grandmother.

  “Something I said?”

  Caden’s gruff voice pulled her head out of the clouds, his inquisitive expression forcing her to school her features and distract him with an evasion. “I was just wondering if she is a member of your club, and who among all these people you’ve greeted know about your kinky activities.”

  “That’s not what you were pondering with such a sad look, but I’ll answer anyway. No, Barbara isn’t a member, and the club is no secret but only a few members reside in Willow Springs. The majority of them come from the larger cities, like Billings. You still don’t want to tell me what landed you here, in these parts?”

  “No.”

  He opened his mouth to comment and then clamped it shut with a shrug. “Your choice.”

  He was irked, but she couldn’t tell if it was because he wanted to know more about her, or because he couldn’t come up with a good enough reason to demand answers. Despite the thrill his personal interest in her elicited, Sydney intended to keep silent about her uncle’s actions until she found a way to deal with them, and him, without hurting her family.

  The next afternoon, Caden couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Sydney’s face when he’d been discussing his family with Barbara, or about those evasive answers to anything personal. Her obvious lies pissed him off and her dejected expression and damp eyes had disturbed him in an unfamiliar, undesirable way. Both her deceit and his reaction to her unhappiness were unacceptable, but there wasn’t anything he could do about either one. His mood foul, he returned from the fields in time to stroll around the side of the big barn and catch a view of Sydney’s upturned ass as she stood leaning over the rail enclosing the pigpen. Way over. With a squeal, she toppled into the sty, landing in a mud puddle from the previous night’s rain. With a glare toward Tyler and Carl who were laughing on the sidelines, he strode toward her, snapping at them, “You didn’t think to stop her?”

  “Ah, c’mon, Boss,” Tyler drawled as he and Carl came forward to help. “You gotta admit she’s cute.”

  “And entertaining,” Carl put in.

  Ignoring them, he reached over the rail for Sydney’s hand. “I dare you to find humor in your current position.” Mud caked her hair and splattered her face, yet she grabbed his hand with a beaming smile.

  “I have no one to blame but myself. The big one distracted me when he bullied Princess.”

  Tyler chuckled. “You named her?”

  Sydney shrugged, climbed over the railing and hopped down. “Sure, why not. Thanks for the hand, Boss.” She flipped Caden one of her cheeky grins, leaving him itching to spank her mud-caked butt as she sauntered up to the house.

  Turning to his other employees, he growled, “Get back to work.”

  Sydney was driving him fucking nuts, Caden groused when he found himself searching for her again the next day. If he didn’t fear the hands would stage a walkout, he’d fire her and wash his hands of her. That way, he could go about his days without being plagued by thoughts of her. Unfortunately, she’d had the gall to endear each and every one of his hired help to her with homemade breads, fantastic meals and an array of baked sweets that had the guys practically eating out of her hand. So, that option was out, no matter how much she continued to burrow under his skin.

  She’d given no more thought to her barbed wire cut and how bad it could have been than she would a scratch, making light of her clumsy attempt to get over the fence during lunch yesterday. At dinner, she’d drawn smiles from the older men as she’d made fun of herself falling into the pigpen, adding to Caden’s frustration over a growing at
traction he couldn’t get a handle on. When she’d grinned up at him with that irrepressible smile stretching her mud-splattered face, he’d struggled with an urge to either kiss her or toss her over his knee. Thank goodness she had walked away before he could do either.

  Now, he and Connor were riding out looking for her after the afternoon had grown late and he couldn’t find her. “I swear, if she’s wandered into a field again, she’ll have trouble sitting tomorrow.”

  His damn brother had the gall to laugh at that threat. “Be careful. She may end up liking your discipline enough to egg her on instead of deterring her.”

  “There is that, isn’t there?” he grumbled.

  Connor cast him an amused glance askance, tipping his Stetson back. “I don’t know why you’re so worried. She was out for over two hours yesterday and returned just fine.”

  “In time to fall head first into the pig pen,” Caden snapped.

  “So? We all got a kick out of it, including her. She wasn’t hurt, got cleaned up and put dinner on the table on time. I think you’re looking for ways to stay irritated with her.”

  “Think what you want.”

  What the hell was it about the woman he couldn’t get a handle on? In all his thirty-nine years, Caden had never experienced such a constant pull for one woman, and wouldn’t you know it? It would have to be for an off-limits employee with a penchant for suspicious evasiveness.

  A few minutes later, Connor slowed and pointed east across a field. “There she is. What is she doing?”

  Spotting her, Caden’s blood ran cold as he swore, “Un-fucking believable!” Spurring Ranger into a gallop, he prayed he reached the idiot girl before one of their orneriest bulls followed through with his hoof-pawing threat and charged her. Why the hell did she just stand there with her hand out? “Head him off,” he shouted to Connor.

  “Uh, oh.” Sydney took her eyes off the enormous cow that didn’t look happy with her and cast a quick glance toward the sound of approaching riders. She winced when she recognized the Dunbar brothers coming to her rescue. Caden was not going to be happy with her. Again. Only this time, he would have reason.

  Was it her fault she’d been daydreaming about her boss, lost sight of the building she’d chosen to keep in her sights and ended up completely turned around? No, her mistake was in thinking she could just retrace her steps and find herself close to the house. Oops. The ‘bigger than life’ cow had charged out of nowhere, snorting his displeasure and shaking his massive head at her as if to say, how dare you trod on my turf! He couldn’t even be bribed into a friendlier attitude with a sugar cube she’d been saving for Daisy, the little mare she’d grown fond of.

  Thank goodness her cowboys knew what they were doing. Caden came trotting up behind her while Connor rode between her and the cranky cow, his horse herding the bull away from them as Caden leaned over and scooped her up with one hard arm around her waist. Her relief at their timely rescue changed to startled, breath-stopping unease when she found herself lying face-down in front of him and the grassy ground shifting in dizzying circles below her.

  Before she could get her bearings, he swatted her wiggling backside hard enough to feel the discomfort and burn through her jeans. “What… oh!” The next smack cut off her complaint, the dull ache and warmth spreading to her quivering pussy rendering her mute with astonishment.

  “I’m spanking some sense into you,” Caden growled, delivering one more slap before shifting her upright and leaving her sitting sideways as he nudged his horse back into a trot.

  Sydney was too stunned from her body’s response to what should have been a humiliating set-down to wonder much what Connor meant when he pulled alongside them and, after one look at her face, called over with humor lacing his voice, “I think you lost that gamble, brother.”

  The rumble of Caden’s low-voiced swearing vibrated against her shivering frame, and she enjoyed his frustration as much as she was shocked by the low-level arousal those few swats generated. She couldn’t even find it in her to be embarrassed from Connor witnessing his brother’s actions. With a wave, Connor took off ahead of them and Sydney braved a look up at her boss’ handsome, rugged face, exasperation swirling in his cobalt eyes.

  “I can explain,” she offered.

  “Really. How?” he mocked.

  “I intended to stay within sight of the barns, but… got distracted, lost sight of my guiding mark and then turned around.” She wasn’t about to tell him she’d been fantasizing about being spanked and then fucked by him. He might fire her over such an infraction. As much as she missed her family, she was stuck here until she came up with a plan to return home and keep Uncle Mike and his desperate actions from hurting her grandmother and uncles.

  “And, why didn’t you call this time?”

  She looked away from those probing eyes that saw too much. Her lack of funds didn’t allow for her to add minutes to the pre-paid cell phone she’d been using since fleeing Missouri. She couldn’t reveal that without raising his suspicions about her even more than her refusal to tell him why she didn’t have insurance to charge for the medical bill the other day.

  “I don’t carry it with me around the ranch.” She shrugged. “I didn’t think I needed to.”

  “And now you know otherwise. You disrupted my work with your irresponsibility,” he chastised her as they neared the barns.

  “If you would teach me to ride, like you promised, I would have something to do in the afternoons,” she argued in defense despite finding it difficult to concentrate on what he was saying while being held snug against him, his cock pressed against her thigh, her butt still tingling from those swats. Even the girls were on board, her nipples puckering into tight nubs.

  “Maybe I’d have time if I wasn’t constantly riding to your rescue.” Caden dismounted at the barn and lifted her down. With his hat pulled low over his forehead, she could barely see his eyes, but his taut jaw told her she shouldn’t risk pushing him further today.

  “I should see to dinner. Thanks for the ride, Boss.” Her buttocks clenched when she felt his eyes on her as she strode across the lawn to the house, making her wonder what her response would be if he were to slap her bare butt. Just the thought drew a shiver down her spine and a heated throb between her legs. She bemoaned the desperate state stress and loneliness forced on her and despaired ever getting out of.

  Caden leaned back in his office chair, swirling the glass of brandy in one hand as he drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair with his other. He wasn’t used to feeling guilty, especially not for enforcing his rules They were there to keep his employees, and his livestock, safe. There were enough risks and threats to watch out for on a working ranch to stay aware of without having one smart-mouthed, fucking-fantastic cook giving him headaches. He could admit getting caught on the fence was a typical mistake from someone new to ranch life. And her topple into the pigsty was funny, at least now that he’d gotten past his frustration with her. But until she learned not to daydream to the point of losing her way, he would insist she stick to the perimeters of the buildings

  He caught a whiff of something cooking in the oven that smelled Italian and his stomach growled. He loved Italian anything. The front door slammed and he glanced out the window to see Sydney strolling out to the yard, the dogs bouncing at her heels. His eyes were drawn to her twitching ass and he recalled the aroused darkening of her eyes, flushed face and hard nipples her shirt couldn’t disguise after he’d swatted those round cheeks. Why he experienced another pang of guilt over that, he hadn’t a clue.

  She stopped and tossed two balls for the collies to chase. The dogs got so much exercise with herding, he never thought to play with them. But watching them, he could see how much the pair enjoyed chasing the toys. Sydney smiled, but even from here, he could detect her drooping slim shoulders, as if her heart wasn’t quite in it. Then she flicked a glance toward the corral where a few horses were also prancing about, her expression turning wistful.

  “Shit.�
�� Caden slammed back the last of his drink and strode outside, hoping a quick riding lesson would end this unaccustomed self-reproach for necessary actions.

  She didn’t say anything as he strode toward her, only lifted one slim brow, those full lips curving in a teasing smile he thought about way too much. “How long until dinner is ready?” he asked abruptly.

  “About thirty minutes. I set out a tray of cheese and crackers if you’re hungry.”

  “No, I’ll wait. Come on, then. I’ll saddle Star and give you a short riding lesson.” Those expressive green eyes lit with pleasure, erasing whatever thoughts had darkened them.

  She punched the air with a fisted hand. “Woo hoo, I’m so there!”

  Damn but it was getting difficult to hold back grinning. He had her mounted on the dainty Pinto in a few minutes, a long lead attached to the mare’s bridle. “Keep your feet in the stirrups, tucked at her sides. use the reins like I showed you to control her. She’s a well-behaved horse and will obey the slightest commands. You good?”

  “As I’ll ever be.”

  “Nudge her sides then.”

  Holding onto the extended lead, Caden watched her sway along with the little horse as they circled him. He let her move into a trot and could tell that, with a few more lessons, Sydney would be confident enough to ride outside in the pastures. Hopefully, once she reached that goal, she would know the surrounding acreage well enough not to get lost. Or maybe her lousy sense of direction was the lost cause. When that thought tickled him it was time to end this.

  “Thanks, Boss.” He should have been prepared for the little minx to throw herself against him with a pleased, impish grin as he lifted her down, and for his immediate reaction to the slide of her body against his. But his lack of control with this one woman continued to throw him off guard.

  “You’re welcome.” Putting her at arm’s length, he spun her around and pushed against her butt. “Go get my dinner on.”