Crushed Velvet (9 page)

“Yes,
Riding the Rand
. I never allowed any woman to—ride me again.”

Daisy let the tears fall along her cheeks. “I never allowed it with anyone either.”

He drew back and looked into her eyes. “I shouldn’t have come here.”

Daisy cried louder.

“Dammit, Daisy!” He looked angry now. “You’d better stop.”

“I can’t!” She sniffled. “I never let myself cry all those years ago.” She got mad at herself and stomped her foot. “It’s all your fault!” she shouted.

“Mine?” He tilted his head at her.

“Yes!” Tears swam in her eyes. “You were the one man I loved for my whole life. The only one!”

He looked stunned. “You left me.”

Nodding her head, she swiped at her cheeks. “Well now, you can pay me back.” Now that he was here, she knew what she’d thrown away all those years ago. A man who loved her for being who she was. One that wouldn’t try to change her, and she gave him up for all the wrong reasons. Being a yellow streaked coward finally came back and bit her in the…

He stepped back from her and for the first time, he looked unsure.

“Leave through that door, and you’ll have the payback I owe you. It’ll break my heart and reduce me to dust, most likely.”

“It did hurt.” He let out a dry laugh. “It hurt like a sonofabitch.” He looked beyond her, toward the door. “You didn’t even want my kid.”

Daisy flinched and she felt his words like punches to her gut.

“I got drunk and stayed that way till it was time for you to bring Maggie.” His voice dropped low.

“See?” She bit at her lip. “I ain’t no good. A selfish, mean, heartless heifer of a bitch!”

“Yeah, I see.” He stepped around her and headed for the door.

Daisy felt like someone had let the air out of her balloon for sure. All the pain she’d bottled up, the self-loathing she kept under lock and key, gutted her and she knew she might not ever be the same after this.
This is the way it should be. I deserve it. The man was always too dammed sweet for me. The years had roughened him up finally.

THIRTEEN

Yee-haw!

On the trail to the Triple K

Kanda spurred her horse across the flatlands and as the dust cleared she could see Wade way ahead of her.
How in the hell?
She tugged her bandana up further over her nose and sighed.

There wasn’t a cowboy in Texas she couldn’t best at almost any rodeo event.
This isn’t a Texan cowboy, Kanda,
she reminded herself.
Well, just what is he anyway?
She thought with him owning that Hummer and being so educated that he was maybe a city type. Used to the soft way of life. Now, here he was besting her on horseback?

Wade turned his horse in a neat full round-two step and halted his stallion to face her.

He was performing maneuvers with a horse like a rodeo star would do.
See! What the hell was that?
He wasn’t like any man she’d ever met and there’s no tellin’ what all he knows about.

Sitting still atop his horse, he was grinning at her like a cat that’d licked up all the cream.

Kanda slowed her horse to a stop a few feet away. “Where in the hell did you learn to ride like that?”

Wade shook his head and yanked his hat off, patting the dust from it. “I know a little. Horses just like me, I guess?”

“Mm-mm,” she harrumphed under her breath.
And women like you— probably too many females I’d be guessing. Then, I’ll just bet even men feel kindred with him too. Too perfect and I know that there ain’t no such thing!

“Let’s have lunch!” he offered.

Kanda looked around. “Where?” This part of the ranch was flat as all get out.

“How about we head for the tree stand?”

Kanda looked toward the area behind him and could see the oak trees. “Yeah, I suppose.”

He rode to her side and turned his steed neatly, facing his horse next to hers. “Let’s ride together this time.”

Kanda was still eyeballin’ him. “Are you sure? I mean, we could do some high steppin’ barrel races and maybe some roping competition?”

He glanced over at her. “Is that an anal-tight tone I’m hearing?”

An anal…?
Her gaze shot over to him. “No. I was just wondering what
all
I don’t know about you, Mr. Monroe.” She raised a brow at him.

Wade stared at her for a few seconds and then tipped his head back with laughter.

Kanda jerked her head back as if he’d slapped her. “What’s so dammed funny?”

Wade kept chuckling. “You! You’re what’s so funny.”

Dropping her reins, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, yeah?” She never cared to be made fun of.

“Yeah!” Wade swiped at a tear. “I would say it’s a little late to worry about my character, wouldn’t you say? Since you didn’t care if I were Jack the Bloody Ripper when you ‘fuck-tied’ me!”

“Fu—Fuck—tied…?” Her mouth popped open with shock.

At her gaping, his laughter worsened and he roared with it.

Kanda clapped her trap shut and stared at him.
Well, he was right!
A smile tugged at her lips.
I chose him, tied him up and well—
did
him. Her chuckling started and her full-blown laughter rolled out as she joined him.

“I could’ve given you references, if you would have given me the chance.” He swiped at his eyes. “I mean, I am considered very accomplished at many things and…” He gazed steadily at her. “
Riding
, is one of them. I just didn’t like plundering a virgin just because I thought she was
female.
” He paused at her look of confusion. “…Um, well, remember now like I told you before? In my country, saying
female
by itself like that means you are truly ‘The’ hottest babe.”

It wasn’t the
female
part that had her befuddled and Kanda gasped, even as her giggling continued.
Hottest Babe?

“
And I suppose I’d better keep your interest up, if I want some more—Kandy.” His expression suddenly turned serious as he gazed boldly at her.

Kanda’s chuckling halted. The look in his eyes seemed dangerous…
Like dangerous in the sense that he might just rip my clothes from my body kind of dangerous.
It made her skin feel intensely hot and she felt her panties getting moist.

His stare continued while all around them seemed to get quiet, like a storm was brewing and even the birds knew what was coming.

Hot damn!
The way his eyes seemed to burn at me
.
Like he was already way past undressing me with them, and in his mind his hot hands were already on my body, doing all kinds of…
She forced herself to look away.
I need to wear these jeans home today, dammit!

Wade looked away too and clicked his reins to get his horse moving. “We’d better ride. I’m getting hungry.”

Kanda kept quiet for a change, as she thought that was the very word she’d use for the way he looked at her,
hungry.
She took up her reins and rode alongside him. It was too strange for her to be feeling off-kilter so much around someone, especially a man. Up until now, they barely garnered her respect, let alone her attention.

The oak stand drew closer and she hadn’t been here in many months. There was even green grass growing beneath them. The rains had been heavy this season and she knew it would be cooler under them. She was gonna need some cooling for sure.

Wade got there first of course and he hopped from his horse before it even stopped. In almost a Roy Rogers style; boots down…double-stepping. He then rushed to meet her when her horse halted. He simply reached up and pulled her from the stirrups.

“Whoa!” she gasped out.

“No whoaing and no stopin’.” Wade looked serious as he swung her around and carried her to the largest oak tree. “I’ve decided it. This will be the place.”

Kanda was batting her eyes and staring at him. “For lunch?”

“Sure, for lunch.” He chuckled. “But more importantly? It’s the place where you will lose your
true virginity.”

Kanda kept staring at him. “What?”

He lowered her down to the plush grass. “Yeah, you’re not the only one who can decide when to do what, and who to
do
, you know?”

Shaking her head in confusion, Kanda was entirely up the creek with no paddle, so to speak, and she had no idea how the hell she got there.

“Now just sit and I will take care of…everything,” he commanded.

With no real choice, because she seemed to be constantly confused, she sat and mutely nodded at him.
Everything?

FOURTEEN

Lord Almighty!

Auction Room, Stud Ranch, Victoria Texas

Bren, Trevor and Maggie made their way to the main hall to head to the kitchen when a group of hellion Texan women started to whoop and holler as they filed into the foyer.

Trevor jumped and gripped Bren’s hand as he stared.

Bren chuckled. The big bad cowboy was about to bolt
. I guess this is the only thing that scares him! My G.I. cowboy was gonna bolt because of some grabby women! She muffled a chuckle.
Looking at the wild pack of ‘Hussies’ (as her mama would call them) she made an effort to show the women he was hers by throwing her arm around his wide shoulder.

Maggie glanced over at him and her expression seemed to get fierce as the women drew closer. She stepped in front of Bren and Trevor.

The ladies were laughing and hollering. One stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted the hard-bodied cowboy. “Lord Almighty! Looky what Daisy has in her stock!”

All the other women were ogling him now too.

Maggie placed her hands on her hips. “This man here is not stock! He’s taken and he ain’t for sale!”

The women all got quiet as they looked at each other and back at her. They grumbled and muttered disappointed nonsense under their breath.

“But…” Maggie smiled. “We have the entertainment starting in the Strip Room in five minutes.” She turned to nod at Bren and a stunned looking Trevor.

“Whoot!” they all began yelling.

Maggie gave Bren a knowing wink, threw her hands up and directed them around the base of the stairs. “This way, ladies!”

The entire troupe began their party-like whoops again as they moved away.

They resembled a stampeding mob of the worst sort of wildebeests, Bren thought. Sparkling with an array of bright colors, crimson lipstick, fluffy hairdos and too much perfume.

“Strip room?” Trevor asked in a hushed voice from beside her.

Bren stared at the women while she tried to casually nod her head at him.
Oh, no. I know what he’s gonna ask next!
She desperately wanted to change the subject now. “Let’s get that breakfast!” She tugged at his hand.

“Wait—wait!” He held his ground.

Bren took a deep breath and gazed up at him.

“Have you attended any of these…events?”

Bren’s tummy tightened as she almost held her breath.

“I mean, have you been…?”

Bren knew she needed to tell him the truth all the time, because she’d gotten into barbed wire with this man once already by omitting things and her heart had been bloodied pretty badly. “Well—um, a little?”

Trev tilted his head at her. “What does
a little
mean?”

Bren stepped close to him. “The first day I was here, Maggie pulled me into a closet and—well?” She began to lose her courage and tried to think of how to put it innocent like. Was there a way to innocently describe peeping at a stage full of half-naked men?

“A closet?” he repeated back.

Nodding her head, she nervously shuffled her feet like a schoolgirl caught smoking in the bathroom. “I didn’t know what I was gonna see—I mean…?” She ran out of explanations.

“You watched one of these all male strip shows?” His voice rose.

“No!” she denied heatedly. “It was one of them beef auctions!” The minute she said it, she wanted to take it back.
Like a beef auction was better?

Trevor looked stony. “Show me this closet.”

Bren gasped.

“Come on now. You know we have to get this out or there’ll be trouble. We don’t want another
to do
list crisis.” He raised a brow at her.

Bren bit at her lip.
Yep, there would be trouble if I just let him wonder about it and I don’t wanna lose my man again!
She took his hand and led him down the side hallway.

Trevor remained silent all the way.

She opened the closet door and tugged him in, shutting it behind them.

The light in the closet was already on and he looked around. “It’s a hat and coat room.” His eagle eyes spanned the rather large closet.

Bren nodded and innocently gazed around. “Yep! So, this is all there—”

He stepped toward the covered peephole. “So, this is where…” He slid the small flap aside and leaned down to ‘peep’.

Bren released a scared breath and clenched her hands together.

Trevor stood with his tall body bent while looking through the hole.

Oh, no!
She didn’t even know what all he might see. He could get a real eyeful, depending on what the show was doing right this minute. Bren was panicked. “Trev?” she whispered. “Now listen, I—”

He stepped away from the hole and turned to face her. “I see the stage and men are up there. They’re gyrating their hips and women are touchin’ them.”

Bren nodded as her heart pounded in her ears.

“Did you see anything
you
liked?” He seemed to grind the words out.

Bren stepped close to him. “I looked and I saw a bunch of…” she hesitated. “Man meat.”

A muscle in his jaw flinched as she spoke.

“Then? I got sad.”

Trevor suddenly looked curious. “Sad?”

Nodding her head, she took another step toward him, her breasts meeting with his hard chest. “I wanted only one man…” A smile tugged at her lips. “Only one meat.”

Trevor looked surprised as he gazed down at her face.

“I left here and went to my room, where I cried my heart out.”

Trevor grabbed her arms and his jaw looked even more tight and clenched. “Just the thought of you—maybe wanting someone else…”

Bren shook her head. “There isn’t anyone else but you—sweet cowboy.”

He still looked angry as he backed her to a wall.

Bren was a little panicked as it seemed like she wasn’t getting through to him.
What if he leaves? What if—?

He unsnapped her jeans and lifted her from the floor tugging them and her underwear away with one swift maneuver.

Gasping at the unexpected disrobing, Bren didn’t know what was happening.

Trevor unsnapped his jeans and tugged them down a little.

Bren’s stunned gaze dropped to his hard erection. “Lord Almighty!” she burst out with the same expletive the hussy had used a few minutes before. She was never gonna get used to this, but she sure wanted to try!

For the first time since they entered the so-called closet, Trev smiled as he pressed her back against the wall, though his eyes still glittered with a steely glint. “I’m just aiming to make sure you get only this man…meat.” He lifted her hips and spread her thighs wide.

Gulping, Bren was speechless and her body shook all over. She’d never had a ‘wall screw’, nor had she ever been done against a wall like this in her entire dating experience. She always figured that the guy thought she might be too heavy for such a thing.

He steeped in closer lifted her hips a little higher and without any warning, he shoved deeply into her.

Gasping for breath, their bodies were crushed together in a sweet meshing of hard against soft. Bren thought she might scream with surprise and pleasure.
Good grief, he can do this in all sorts of ways!
She never realized how many ways before now.

He grasped her plush cheeks for more control and plunged deeply again. “Anytime you get the cravin’, Miss Plush? I have all that you…” He slammed her hard once more. “Need.”

Bren felt his cock go deep and her body was a shivering mess. “Unh—oh!” She fought for a breath. It was so intense, the hard look in his eyes and his hot breath on her lips, while she was soaking wet and he was sliding rapidly in and out. A climax immediately spread through her body. Helpless, she jerked with it and couldn’t catch her breath.

Trevor raised her higher and kissed her hard.

Bren was stunned. She’d never seen this Trevor before. Possessive and fierce.
Oh Lordy
! She was gonna have to find ways to make him like this again! Her body capitulated as she moaned into his mouth. Grasping his shoulders and taking in all of her ‘man meat’, she reveled in all of it.