Once Upon a Cowboy

by Rachel Lacey

  “Oh God,” she moaned, moving beneath him, her tits bouncing with every thrust of his body into hers.

  “Yes, yes, oh fuck, yes.” He heard the words coming out of his mouth, and then Megan’s body clamped down on him, a sharp cry echoing on her lips as she started to come, taking him with her. “Oh yeah, baby, that’s it…yesssssss.” He groaned as release tore through him in hot waves that seemed to shake him from head to foot. His hips bucked against her as he came.

  Afterward, he dropped to the bed beside her, one arm thrown over his face, his whole body limp and shaking.

  “So, what did you think?” Megan asked, amusement lacing her tone.

  “Sorry, can’t talk because my brain just exploded.”

  She laughed, soft and throaty. “I thought that was a different part of your anatomy.”

  “Yeah, that too.” He rolled toward her, brushing away a lock of silky brown hair. “All kidding aside, that was amazing, and not just because it was my first time.”

  She blinked, her eyes looking suspiciously glossy for a moment. “I think it was mostly because it was your first time.”

  “Maybe.” He sat up, removing the condom. He carried it to the trash in the bathroom before returning to the bed. He lifted the sheet as he climbed back in, inviting her to join him under the covers. They rolled together, arms and legs entwined.

  “So, do you feel different?” she asked, still with a teasing light in her eyes.

  “Just relieved, mostly. It was messing with my head, wondering when and if I’d ever get to do this thing everyone else in the world seemed to be doing…and enjoying.”

  “Yeah, I can see that.” Her voice was soft, pillowed by the blankets around them.

  He closed his eyes for a moment, content to feel the warmth of her skin and the puff of her breath against his neck, thinking that he could hold her forever and never get tired of it. “Officially not even in the same ballpark as jerking off.”

  “Especially when I call in the middle and interrupt you?” she whispered.

  “Especially then, although I let you interrupt me,” he told her. “I didn’t have to answer the phone. I guess I just wanted to hear your voice before I came.”

  “Well, that’s hot. Feel free to call when you’re horny any time.”

  “I think that sounds like an excellent idea.” He ran his hands down her back, still mesmerized by the freedom to touch her, the comfort he felt at the closeness of their bodies. “It feels so good to hold you.”

  “Just hold me?” She pressed herself against his cock, which was already hard again.

  “I can’t help it. I have a lot of time to make up on,” he said with a smile. “But I really do enjoy holding you. Will you stay? I’d love to sleep next to you.”

  “Yeah, I’ll stay.” She smiled up at him, something tender, almost tentative on her face. “I already asked Elle to watch my foster dogs tonight, just in case. God knows I watched hers enough times when she and Theo were first dating.”

  “Good.” He fingered the silver pendant on her chest, the one she always wore. “Does it have special meaning for you?”

  “Well, it’s the Tree of Life, which has a lot of really cool meanings, but also it was a gift from my grandmother.” Her fingers brushed over his to touch the pendant.

  They lay together for a few minutes of peaceful silence, just enjoying the closeness between them. His fingers encountered the scar on her arm, and he traced it idly, running his thumb over it like a map to her body. She shivered, pulling away. “Sorry. Does it hurt?”

  She shook her head.

  “Lord knows I have enough of them.” He lifted his arm, showing her the scar on his elbow where a horse had thrown him when he was sixteen. He’d caught it on the fence as he fell, needed several dozen stitches to close it back up. “Gives us character, right?” He cupped her cheek, not quite touching the scar there.

  She turned her face against the pillow.

  “Hey. You okay?”

  “Fine.” But something in her tone had gone taut, her face still turned so that the pillow hid her scar.

  He felt a tug deep in his chest, somewhere in the vicinity of his heart. He barely even noticed the scars when he looked at her, had never really stopped to think how she might feel about them. He supposed he’d just assumed she didn’t notice them any more than he did. In retrospect, that had been a stupid thing to assume. After all, he’d seen the way she sometimes wore her hair over her face, hiding behind it.

  “I’m sorry,” he said softly, although he wasn’t quite sure what he was apologizing for.

  Megan’s gaze drifted toward the ceiling, her expression carefully blank.

  “In my eyes, it only makes you more beautiful.”

  She sat up, and there it was, that curtain of hair falling over her face. She made no effort to brush it away as she slid out of bed and walked into the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her.

  Megan stood at the bathroom sink, glaring at herself in the mirror. This was meant to be a special night for Jake, and she was ruining it. She blew out a deep, cleansing breath before bending to splash cold water over her face. She closed her eyes as she patted her skin dry on the hand towel.

  Moments like these, the scar was all she could see. It throbbed beneath the heat of her own gaze, seeming to redden from her shame. She had the irrational urge to claw at it, as though she could rip it off her face, be rid of it, be herself again.

  But that was ridiculous. Her scars didn’t define her. At least, they shouldn’t. It was only her own foolish vanity that gave them power. So, why couldn’t she seem to reclaim that power for herself?

  She needed to get a grip, like, right now.

  And then she needed to get back out there and salvage this night, because Jake absolutely did not deserve her bullshit tonight or any other night. The man had suffered enough. He’d watched his wife die for nine years, and here she was being a drama queen about the scars on her face.

  She gave herself one final glare in the mirror, fingers clenched around the edge of the counter, before walking back into the bedroom. Jake lay right where she’d left him, sprawled naked and handsome across the bed, his eyes locked on hers.

  “You okay?” he asked as she slid in beside him, draping an arm across his stomach.

  “Yes.”

  “Sorry if I said something wrong.” His gaze was still locked on hers, steady and intense.

  “You didn’t.” She moved to kiss him, but he stopped her with a gentle hand cupping her chin, holding her gaze, unsatisfied with her answer. She sighed, dropping her face into his hand. “I get self-conscious about it sometimes. It’s stupid. I know it is.”

  “It’s not stupid,” he told her earnestly. “If anything’s stupid, it’s the importance our society puts on the perfection of our faces, or bodies in general. Animals don’t fall for any of that superficial bullshit.”

  “We’d do well to be more like them,” she said quietly.

  “They have a lot more common sense than we do sometimes,” he said with a teasing smile before his expression turned serious. “You know I mean it when I say I don’t even notice your scars most of the time. They’re just a part of your face, no better or worse than any other part.”

  “Thank you.” She turned her face to kiss his palm, her skin flushing hot at his words, even as her heart recognized his honesty. She made a point to tuck her hair behind her ear before she brought her lips to his. See, I’m fine.

  But deep down she knew he could see right through her.

  10

  Jake woke slowly, wonderfully aware of the warm presence beside him. Bone deep satisfaction lingered like a drug in his system. He opened his eyes to see Megan sprawled across the bed on her stomach, one arm thrust in his direction, legs tangled in the sheets. He grinned, reaching out to run his fingers through the wild tangle of her hair. She let out a sleepy sigh, rolling toward him.

  “Morning,” he said, his voice deep and raspy with sleep.

&n
bsp; “Mm,” she mumbled, squinting at him. “What time is it?”

  “No idea. Around six, if I had to guess.” His internal clock was pretty accurate, a result of years of getting up and getting his ass to the barn first thing in the morning.

  Megan scooted closer, eyes sliding shut as she draped herself against his chest. “I should go soon to help with breakfast at the castle.”

  “You don’t look like you want to go anywhere.” He wrapped an arm around her, thinking how great it was to wake next to someone, to start his morning with a kiss, a warm body pressed against his, the comforting presence of another person, especially this person. Of all the things he’d discovered in the last twelve hours, sleeping—actually sleeping—with Megan was pretty damn high on the list.

  Her hips brushed against his beneath the sheets, and her fist wrapped around his cock. Then she was peering up at him, looking decidedly more awake. “Someone’s happy to see me this morning.”

  “Pretty curious to see what all the fuss about morning sex is about,” he told her. “Care to indulge me?”

  “I could probably be persuaded.”

  “Oh yeah?” He leaned in to kiss her, slow and deep. “Is this persuasive enough?”

  “Not quite,” she whispered, a grin tugging at her lips.

  “I can be very persuasive when I need to be.” He dipped his head, bringing his mouth to her breast. He grazed his teeth against the sensitive flesh there before sucking her nipple into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue.

  Megan sighed with pleasure, melting closer against him under the covers. “Almost convinced.”

  He transferred his attention to the other breast while sliding one of his hands between her legs, stroking through the wetness he found there. Her body was a marvel to him, and he wanted to explore every inch, to discover everything she enjoyed and all the different ways to make her come. He had so much to learn.

  “Okay, yeah, I’m convinced,” she panted.

  He reached for a condom and rolled it on, more confidently this time. Last night, things had been fumbled and fast, a rush toward release. This morning, he wanted to take his time and savor the moment. He pushed slowly inside her, groaning all the way. “Still can’t believe how good this feels.”

  “Mm,” she mumbled, arching her back beneath him.

  He held still for a long moment, just feeling her tight heat gripping him, the way his cock pulsed with anticipation. Desire rippled through him, hot and urgent, heightening his senses. He leaned forward and captured her mouth as he began to move, stroking leisurely. “Could get used to waking up every morning this way.”

  She smiled against his lips.

  They kissed, rocking together in a perfect sort of rhythm. He kept the pace slow for as long as he could, letting the heat between them build before he finally started to lose control, his hips bucking faster against hers. Megan was right there with him, meeting each of his thrusts with one of her own, bringing their bodies together just right.

  “I’m close,” he panted.

  “Go on,” she whispered, eyes sliding shut. Her body gripped his as she started to come.

  “Oh yeah,” he gritted as his own orgasm took hold. “Fuck yes.” He held himself still as release poured through him before rolling onto the bed beside her. “Definitely a good morning now.”

  She smiled, eyes still closed, a blissed-out expression on her face.

  “Wish I could stay in bed with you all day,” he said.

  “Someone has sex on the brain,” she whispered, pressing a kiss against his neck.

  “Can’t help it.”

  They lay together for a few minutes, while they caught their breath, and Jake felt an unfamiliar sort of peace come over him. It had been a good night, a good morning, and he had no reason to expect today wouldn’t be a good one too.

  Might even end with Megan in his bed again.

  He hadn’t come to Rosemont Castle looking for a woman. He’d come to establish his career and make a name for himself as a horse trainer. Maybe this thing with Megan would just be a fling, but even so, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. Instead, as he lay there with one arm around her, their legs tangled in the sheets with the morning sun streaming in through the window, he realized it had been a mistake not to seek out this kind of companionship sooner.

  Maybe he hadn’t been ready before now. Either way, now that he knew what it felt like to sleep beside a woman, to wake with her in his arms and lose himself inside her, he never wanted to be alone again.

  They showered together—and he got to experience shower sex for the first time—before Megan dressed and headed to the castle to get ready for her day. Maybe working on the same propterty would be a good thing. They were close enough to drop in on each other at a moment’s notice, to easily spend the night together, but still worked far enough apart that they didn’t have to see each other if they didn’t want to.

  He headed to the barn to tend to the horses. Twister trotted across his pasture to greet Jake at the gate, while Duchess looked on from her own pasture. Bug and Dusty were, as usual, in the riding ring. He gave everyone a pat before heading into the barn.

  Inside, it smelled like horse, that warm scent that called to mind a lifetime of memories, so many barns, so many animals he’d worked with over the years. And now, it was his barn. Not that he owned it, but he had full control over it, and someday, he’d own his own place. In the meantime, this was exactly what he needed.

  If only business would pick up, he’d really be in good shape. He’d put out several feelers about his training services since he moved to Rosemont Castle, but so far nothing had panned out. He had enough existing clients to scrape by, but to succeed, he needed more. His budget was stretched to the breaking point right now, but he knew that was the way it went for most new businesses in their first year. For now, he was trying not to worry, especially when everything else in his life seemed to be going so well.

  He mucked the stalls that had been used yesterday, cleaned and refilled water buckets, and performed the rest of the morning chores. Once he’d finished, he brought Duchess into the barn and put her on the cross-ties in the aisle for a training session. He spent time grooming and handling her, offering lots of positive reinforcement for her cooperation. To her credit, Duchess was a very cooperative horse.

  He put her in her stall while he brought Bug and Dusty inside to free up the riding ring. Then, he got Duchess back out, put the bridle and saddle on her that they’d been using for their training sessions, and brought her out to the arena for some work on the lunge line. He clipped it to her bridle and backed up, allowing her to begin at a walk, looping around him in a circle as they practiced verbal commands.

  He spun in a slow circle as she moved, keeping the line from going slack, praising her all the while. Duchess moved with an easy grace, head up, ears pricked, eager to learn and to work. As he turned to face the castle, he saw Megan coming down the lane with her camera in tow. His heart quickened at the sight. She’d changed into dark jeans and a red top, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail.

  She came to stand against the fence, watching them. “I saw you out here working with Duchess. Is this a good time for me to take some pictures?”

  “Sure.” He was grateful that she was taking pictures for him to use on his website and marketing materials, and Duchess was the perfect cover model for his business.

  “Pretend I’m not here,” she said.

  “That’s hard to do, when you’re all I can think about,” he said, only half joking.

  “Jake,” she admonished, laughter in her tone.

  So, he did his best to ignore her, and after a few minutes, he halfway succeeded. He focused on Duchess, working her in both directions before he moved in for some more hands-on direction, asking her to move over and back up for him, getting her comfortable with the commands she’d need to know later on. He walked her up to the mounting block and asked her to stand beside it. Then, he stepped up and put his hands on her
back, applying gentle pressure, talking quietly to her the whole time.

  She turned her head to stare at him, a “what the hell are you doing?” look on her face, but no signs of discomfort or distress. This horse was as solid as an oak. When he’d finished with her, he brought her into the barn to untack her and praised her with a generous face rub and a few well-earned carrots.

  Megan followed, keeping her distance as she photographed him at work. Duchess lifted her head to stare at her, and Megan snapped a series of photos. “My goodness, you’re gorgeous,” she murmured to the horse, and Duchess nickered in response.

  “That she is,” Jake said. “Want to give her a treat before I put her back outside?”

  “Sure.” Megan replaced the camera in its case, slung it over her shoulder, and walked over. She took a baby carrot from Jake’s hand and offered it to Duchess with practiced ease. She was one hundred percent more comfortable around the horses these days, and it filled him with an odd sort of pride. And a healthy amount of lust, because watching a woman work with horses had always been a huge turn-on for him.

  “I was thinking about taking Twister for a ride. Want to come with me?”

  “Come with you, how?” she asked, her brow furrowed.

  “On Twister. I wouldn’t ask him to do it often, but he could carry us both on a little trail ride. He’d enjoy it, and so would I.”

  Her eyes lit. “Yeah, that sounds great, actually.”

  “Got any boots?” he asked, giving Duchess another affectionate rub as he unclipped her from the cross-ties.

  “Um, like riding boots?”

  “Any boots will do, even cowboy boots,” he said with an easy smile, gesturing at his own.

  A wide smile split her face. “I do have a pair of those. I bought them after we moved here, and the girls laughed at me. They accused me of thinking I was in Texas when I asked about going line dancing down at Bar None.”