by Sierra Brave
She nodded.
“Good…how about this?”
He reached over, stroking one of her stiff peaks with the back of his fingers before taking it between his thumb and forefinger, gently twisting and teasing until he had elicited a moan from her.
He lowered his head, whispering in her ear. “That sure sounded real to me.”
She squirmed as her body quivered and her skin tingled. He was right. Every nerve ending in her body was snapping and popping.
Unsure what to do with this revelation, she blinked, fear weighing heavily on her chest. “Okay, it’s real. You’re a horse…man.” Maybe she was going into shock but she didn’t feel unsafe just utterly surprised.
“Basically, but we prefer equine shifter.” His chin was resting on the top of her head now.
“We? There are others like you…oh shit, all of those horses earlier.” She exhaled a ragged breath, her mind boggled.
“You’re a quick one. That’s right. Did you happen to notice—?”
She cut him off. “Some had riders.” The implications weren’t lost on her but she wasn’t sure how to feel about the idea.
“That’s right. We aren’t a large population. We don’t have arranged marriages but oftentimes a herd will host a party for the young people and invite studs and fillies from other herds to encourage unions. But sometimes, you meet someone and suddenly, no one else will do.”
Scarlett’s eyes widened. “Do you mean me?”
“Do you think I would have shown you my other nature if I didn’t?” he asked as his fingers stroked her thighs.
“You barely know me.”
“I know you’re smart as a whip, soft-spoken but articulate and classy enough to ignore Melly’s ridiculous behavior. You even managed to survive an evening with my crazy family without taking to the wind.”
“I almost ran off,” she admitted timidly.
“I can’t blame you.” He laughed, cupping the side of her face and crushing his lips against hers.
She stiffened. Was the man she was kissing half animal? Maybe…but how could she hold that against him? He was kind, gracious and a perfect gentleman and she was never one to be prejudice. Not to mention, she’d read her fair share of romance novels and had to admit she always had a preference for those “sexy shifter” heros. She just never—not in a million years—would have believed they were real. Her heart quickened and she reached out, grabbing him, craving his warmth. Pulling back, she broke the kiss, turning her face from him.
“You think that’s enough? We only just met.” She stared at the flames of the crackling fire, hating herself for being so rational.
“I know and trust me, I get it. We skipped a few steps from the meeting to mating progression, but honestly, I couldn’t stop myself. Being a shifter means avoiding entanglements with strangers. I’m not one to chase a girl, no matter how sexy her hourglass shape is…” He paused, his cheeks turning red.
Poor thing—he really hadn’t had much practice wooing women.
“No disrespect,” he added.
Scarlett licked her bottom lip, her chest heaving and her cunt twitching with arousal. She gave a sideways smile. “Oh, none taken.”
“Good…good. I was drawn to you immediately. Horses have instincts. Sometimes, they can just smell the evil coming off people but they recognize kindness too. Equine shifters have the same sixth sense. You’re special, Scarlett. When your vacation is over we don’t have to be.”
Raising her hand, she covered his mouth. “Don’t talk anymore.” She bounced up, repositioning herself and straddling him. “You had me at sexy, hourglass shape.”
He grinned, tilting his head and pulling her in with those gorgeous eyes. Lifting up, she reached between them, grabbing his cock and positioning it at the entrance of her pussy.
“Easy now,” he cautioned her. “Take it all but take it slowly.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, her pussy started to drip. Pushing down, she grimaced then groaned when the head pierced her open. It was a tight fit but a coating of her love nectar had turned the tides in her favor. She swayed her hips right to left and then in a circle, getting used to his shape again. Strong hands grasped her hips, thumbs resting on her pelvic bones as the pads of eight large fingertips pushed into her flesh. His nose nuzzled her cleavage as his face momentarily disappeared between her breasts. Tiny nibbles to each breast sent her senses into oblivion. Leaning her head back, she mewed loudly, grabbing his shoulders to keep her balance as she slid down another inch. Davis’s eyelids closed halfway as he moaned.
“That’s it, baby…take it. Make it yours.”
A shiver shot up her spine as she listened to him speak. He wasn’t much of a smooth talker out of the sheets but his animal instincts must have guided his words during the act. Every word he spoke stoked her fiery libido, fanning the flames of her desire. Her pussy was so slick and slippery now she could easily slide all the way down that fire pole but there was no need to rush. She settled a little more, twisting her hips as her lusty cunt sucked him in.
“Mmmm, so thick and long!” She dug her fingernails into his skin, gripping onto him.
“Good girl! You’re about halfway in,” Davis said, giving her ass a congratulatory squeeze.
She huffed, raising her eyes to the ceiling. Only half—how could that be?
His lips were at her neck, peppering a trail of kisses from her collarbone up to her throat. Cooing and purring like an animal, she arched her back, sitting down as far as her pussy would allow. His veiny girth tickled her insides, stroking all the sensitive spots at once. Fuck! It was good!
“There you go. You claimed it all!” His eyes and his chest puffed up and pride showed in his eyes and tone. “You ready?”
Pressing her breasts against his pectorals, she nodded, panting too much to speak. He bucked his hips, slowly at first but gradually building steam until she was bobbing up and landing with an audible smack at each thrust. Throwing her arms around his neck, she held on tight, sweltering in the heat between them. Her breasts, thighs and yes, of course, her pussy were an inferno. Feverishly, her mind went blank as her skin seared against his as if they were melding. Rippling waves of euphoria were swelling within her core, building up and nearing the brink.
“Ah, Ah, Davis…yes!” She rode his massive cock as if she owned it, clenching as a rush of ecstasy flooded through her body, curling her toes and making her tremble.
Still shaking, she opened her eyes just in time to witness the sexy way Davis’s lip curled when the end was near.
“I’m ready…” His eyes rolled up as he struggled to hold back.
“Inside…” She wanted them to ride out the aftershocks in each other’s arms.
He nodded, grabbing her hips even tighter and moaning as he let loose. Relaxing back into the sofa’s cushion, he loosened his grip on her ass to wrap his arms around her and pull her to his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder, breathing heavily against the crook of his neck.
Whispering in his ear, she said, “You slay me, cowboy!”
Chapter Five
As the morning sun hit her face, Scarlett was still basking in the afterglow from the two additional rolls in the hay Davis had treated her to in the wee hours before dawn. After he bent her over the arm of the couch and held her arms behind her back while pounding her into a writhing mess, they’d stumbled to her room and had fallen into bed. About an hour later, he was waking her up for one more go. She was well satisfied but dead tired. Sitting up, she stretched, her arms raised above her head.
“Mmmm, mornin’, sexy,” Davis said, rolling onto his side with his elbow resting near his pillow while he relaxed his head in his hand.
“Good morning…whoa, you wore me out.” She dropped her arms and plopped back down, her head landing on her pillow.
“I aim to please,” he said, grinning ear-to-ear.
She laughed, shooting him a flirty look and puckering up as he went in for a kiss. Three short raps on th
e door cut the romantic rapture short.
“Who could that be?” she wondered.
Davis looked apprehensive…as if he might already know.
Crawling over him, she said, “I’ll find out,” before hopping off the bed and throwing on a pair of jogging pants and a t-shirt. “Be back in two shakes.”
“I’ll be watching those shakes as you walk away.” A crooked smile lit up his rugged facial features.
Laughing, she waved him off as she ran to answer the door. By the time she got there and opened the door, no one was there, but someone had left a bundle of folded clothes and a pair of large, men’s boots at the door. Hit by a wee streak of embarrassment, she lifted her hand to cover her Cheshire cat grin and looked around, but whoever had dropped off the package had hightailed it before she arrived. Snatching up the clothing and footwear, she held them to her chest, bringing them inside and closing the door before scurrying back to the bedroom.
“Looks like you’ve been located,” she said, dropping the boots to the floor beside the bed with a loud thump and shaking the clothes at him.
“Oh God…how embarrassing.” He covered his face with both hands and shook his head before reaching over and taking the jeans and flannel shirt.
As he held up the shirt, she noticed something sticking out of the breast pocket and pulled it out. “What’s this?”
He unfolded the scrap of paper, took a look and laughed. Holding out the note toward her, he said, “Gram says if I know what’s good for me, I better have you to the house in time for brunch.”
Her hair whipping back and forth, she shook her head, trying to stifle her nervous laughter. “You think that’s a good idea? You keep bringing me around this weekend, they might get all attached to me.” She plopped down on the edge of the bed next to him.
Reaching for her, he encircled her waist with his arms as he sat up, bringing his lips to her forehead. “Why should they be any different than me? I’m attached to a powerful degree.”
“Is that right?” She couldn’t resist running her fingertips over his chest and down to his navel.
“Damn right. Aren’t we a couple now?” He nuzzled against her hair.
“You sure you weren’t caught up in some post-equine morph intoxication when you said all those sweet things? Might not be easy—I live three hours away, have a job there and sometimes I can be a real bitch.”
“Come on now. Don’t ever use that word to describe yourself, and three hours ain’t nothing to fear. We’ll email, Skype and text, and on weekends, I’ll go see you…you’ll come see me. It’ll fall into place. You’ll see.”
“You better not break my heart.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
“You have my word.” He pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers and kissing her tenderly. She closed her eyes, content but cautious. She and Davis were from two different worlds. Things might not always be easy and they still had a lot of things to work out but he was worth the effort.
Preview Book Two in the Horse Mountain Series
Real Cowboys Love Cats
Chapter One
* * * * *
Abram shook the dirt off of his boots before stepping onto the barn’s concrete floor. The stable area smelled of hay and horses. His cousin, Davis, was already inside brushing out Thunder’s honey-colored mane. She was one of their most gentle mares. All the kids, who took riding lessons at the ranch, loved her. She was good with the tourists staying in the bungalows and the veteran’s participating in their therapeutic program.
“Hey, Davis, I already feed the horses in the paddock.”
His cousin looked his way, thumping his hat up to show his entire face. “Good because I’ve got something else for you to do now.”
“Sure, whatcha got?”
“I need you to take the truck down the mountain and pick up some cats.”
Abram grimaced. “Cats? Why the hell do you need those fuzzy lil’ bastards?”
Davis rolled his eyes. “Would you like to chase and capture all the mice invading the barns?”
He huffed. Picturing those fat, lazy animals annoyed him. When he was four, he’d wanted a kitten more than anything. He caught one running around the farm, but the damn thing bit him and ran off. His parents didn’t know which cat had broken his skin, and they couldn’t find the piece-of-crap varmint who did it. He ended up having to get a series of painful rabies shots. “Why does it have to be me? You know I can’t stand cats.”
“Yeah, yeah, I hate to tell you, but any idiot that chases a scared, feral animal deserves what they get.”
He frowned. “I was a young kid.”
Davis lifted his chin and the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile. “Come on, man. I need your help. I have a whole bunch of stuff to do, and Becky is working on payroll. The trainers are busy. You’re the only one who does so little around here I can afford for you to leave for a while.”
He knitted his eyebrows. “Bullshit! I work hard. You don’t see Becky mending fences or any of your precious trainers doing any of the heavy lifting around here.”
Davis snickered. “I know. I was just messing with you. Calm down, man.” He reached up and patted Abram on the shoulder. “Please get the cats. I already put a pet carrier in the truck bed. The Catnip Calamity volunteer will relocate them from one crate to the other. Then all you’ve got to do is bring them here and let them go.”
He shifted his weight from one leg to the other while lifting an eyebrow. “What the hell is a catnip calamity?”
“They trap, spay or neuter, and then return feral cats to the area where they found them. Sometimes if there’s a hoarding situation, they have extras. We’re getting a few of the mousers who might not fare well if they were left completely on their own in the wild.”
“Yuck.” He scrunched up his nose. “Give me the address?”
“Becky has it written down for you. Get it when you sign-out the keys.” Davis turned his attention back to Thunder while Abram strode off toward the office.
After parking the red, Chevy pickup in front of a small cottage, Abram doubled checked the address scrawled on a yellow sticky note. He eyed the number on the white railing of the tiny house’s front porch. He’d expected Catnip Calamity to be located in a veterinarian’s office or an animal shelter, not a dollhouse painted in white with a touch of berry. Whatever.
He stepped out of his ride and then closed the door before taking the pet kennel out of the back. While walking up the short driveway, the scent of azaleas and geraniums caught in his nose. He looked around, admiring all the natural garden-style landscape. He recognized a lot of the different types of shrubs from his time working in turf management. He was also familiar with the home’s craftsman-style beaded siding because of an old job in construction. He’d tried a lot of different professions before Gram convinced him to move to Horse Mountain for employment on the ranch.
His boot thunked against the wooden front porch as he walked. A heavy, long-haired cat snoozing on the cushion of the wicker furniture lifted her head. The animal looked at him like he was a gnat and then resumed its nap. He pinched his lips together as he approached the Dutch-style door. The top half was wide open, leaving the home airy but also ripe for intruders. So reckless.
He rang the doorbell and waited until he heard a female voice call out, “Come in.”
While he stared at the knob, he stalled for a few seconds before reaching for it and opening the door. He craned his neck in an attempt to see the voice’s owner as he stepped inside. “Hello.”
“In here.”
His eyes widened as he advanced into the cottage’s open floor plan. He estimated the place to be about eleven thousand square feet. The high, vaulted ceilings and white paint gave it the appearance of having much more room. Natural light beamed on him through a skylight above as well as from two high windows near the ceiling and the set of box casements by the porch.
His gaze fell on another cat lounging on top of a rug underneath the casu
al coffee table. He scrunched up his nose and followed the voice calling out, “In the breakfast nook.”
After walking past a free-standing island, he turned left before discovering the small dinette. A real estate agent would have called the room cozy, but to him, the table and four chairs made it tight. He stood in the large opening between the breakfast area and the kitchen. “Hi.”
A laptop snapped shut and a good-looking brunette looked up from where she was sitting. Her green eyes became huge as if he had startled her. Shit, she told me to come in.
“I’m here to pick up some wild cats.”
Her frightened expression softened. “I was expecting Davis. You’re not him, but now that I look at you, there’s a bit of a resemblance.”
“He’s my cousin.” The sexy guy standing just outside of the small room where Maddie swilled coffee and ate scones shyly looked away from her. There was no mistaking; He was definitely a Banks. He had the same seafoam green eyes as his cousin, but Abram was taller and even more muscular.
As her gaze fluttered across his broad shoulders, she admired the way his tee shirt stretched over his hard pectoral muscles. Her pulse raced and saliva filled her mouth. When she’d first met Davis, she’d had a similar reaction, but only at about ten percent potency. Any slivers of attraction never stuck. They're meant to be best buddies and nothing else, but Maddie definitely wasn’t getting the only-friends vibe from this man.
He glanced at her face again, and as their lines of vision synced the cutest rosy hue lit up his cheeks while his pupils dilated. Hot and sweet. Maddie’s heart turned a somersault.
Wow. She’s super cute. Absently, he fiddled with the hem of his shirt as he stared at her pretty features. She had porcelain skin and a short, button nose that accented her high cheekbones and heart-shaped face. Stop staring. You’re here on official business not to flirt with hot babes. His silent, self-scolding did nothing to deter his pounding heart; he couldn’t take his eyes off her.