Long Hard Ride (24 page)

Channing sucked in another ragged breath, not able to think beyond the tremors still wracking her body.

“Channing? Darlin’?”

Her head snapped up at the sliver of pain in Colby’s voice. “Oh crap.

Sorry. I’m probably hurting you.”

“No. Look at me.”

She pushed her hair out of her face and angled her upper body back, keeping him fully seated inside her. The man was still hard.

Something indefinable lurked in Colby’s intense gaze. “Did that fulfill your wildest fantasies, shug? Being with two guys?”

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She couldn’t speak, she merely nodded.

“Good. Because it ain’t ever gonna happen again.” His free hand knotted in her hair and he brought her face in line with his. His blue eyes flashed heat. “You’re mine. And the thing you need to learn about me is that I don’t share what’s mine.”

“Colby—”

“Your little sexual adventure is done. You understand me? Anything you need in bed you’ll get from me. I’ll give it to you any way you want, whenever you want it, but I’ll be the
only
one fucking you, is that clear?”

She stared at him.

Colby sat up abruptly and jerked her legs around until her ankles were crossed at the small of his back. Plastered belly to belly and chest to chest wasn’t enough for him. His left hand circled her nape and he brought them nose to nose, so their lips were only a breath apart. He pumped his hips, driving his cock hard and high.

“Stop. You’re hurt—”

“If I’m gonna hurt, it’s gonna be from fucking you until neither of us can walk. If I’m gonna pass out, it’s gonna be from comin’ so goddamn hard the top of my goddamn head blew off. If it takes all night, darlin’, I’m gonna prove that you’ve moved into the number one spot of being the single thing in my life that has the power to hurt me the most.”

Tears sparked her eyes and she surrendered to his need, allowing this tough but tender man to demonstrate it in the only way he knew how—with his body.

He ate at her mouth with hungry kisses. He licked her neck. Marking her skin everywhere with wet sucking kisses. Marking her with his teeth.

Marking her with the scrape of his beard on her sensitive flesh. Marking her with his scent.

It was a prolonged, raw mating. Heated. Elemental. Powerful. During her first orgasm she clutched his hair and rode it out. During the second orgasm she dug her nails into his flexing ass cheeks and shuddered against his heaving chest. During the third climax she scratched his back hard enough to draw blood as she ground her pelvis to his.

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Drenched in sweat, breathless, it wasn’t enough. For either of them.

After Colby had come again, he withdrew his still hard cock from her swollen pussy. He pressed his mouth to her throat. “Take the condom off.”

Once Channing had removed it, he used his powerful thighs to change the angle of her hips.

“I want your ass, Channing. I want to look in your eyes as I’m fucking you there. I want to suck your tits as you come. As you feel me coming and those tight muscles milking every hot burst. And if that’s not enough for you. I’ll do it again.” He panted against her neck, sending shivers through her. “I’ll fuck this sweet ass with my cock as my fingers fuck your pussy. I’ll keep at it until you know I’m the only man you’ll ever need.”

His words, his resolve stole her reason. “Colby, please. Enough. I know—”

“No, you don’t. God. You don’t have a clue what I need from you.

What I can give you. But I’ve got a mind to show you.”

As she tipped his face toward hers and stared into his eyes, she saw pain. Emotional pain. Real physical pain. This…possession was taking its toll on him. Channing lifted up, and guided his cock to her rear entrance. Slowly she sank down on him, reveling in how she could change his pain and his fit of temper into bliss.

And it was bliss, an unhurried surrender as she gave him every part of her body. As he climaxed, she followed right behind him, lost in the cosseted way he made her feel. Almost like love.

Colby was wrung out and crashed with utter exhaustion. Channing studied the multitude of old white scars covering most every section of his body, wanting to heal those old wounds, touching him without restriction as she watched him sleep.

But sleep was a long time in coming for her.

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Chapter Sixteen

Colby wasn’t particularly surprised when he woke alone the next morning. He’d been hard on Channing. More demanding, more needy, more domineering than he’d ever been with any woman.

More of a total asshole, too.

Talk about trying to fuck her into submission.

He sighed and tried to move. He winced and groaned at the lingering body aches. From his tumble off the bulls and broncs. Oh, and his tumble straight into love with Channing Kinkaid.

Damn. He had not handled that well. He needed to clean up and come clean with her before they both did something stupid and ran away from yet another set of problems. Namely how they felt so strongly about each other in such a short time. He rolled to his side and pain shot up his arm.

“Jesus fucking Christ.”

“Ah. It lives. You need help getting down?” Edgard said from the bottom of the ladder.

Colby froze. He’d thought he was alone. Actually, he’d hoped Channing was sitting at the table, enjoying her morning coffee. Waiting for him to grovel. “Nah. I wouldn’t mind if you’d toss me a bottle of aspirin and a bottle of water.”

“No problem.”

The little fridge snicked open and shut. Edgard’s head popped up and the pain pills rattled in the plastic as they landed on the sleeping bag.

“Thanks, man,” Colby said as he reached for the proffered water bottle. “I feel like shit.”

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“You still gonna ride today?”

“Hell yes.”

“I thought so. Trevor’s out exercising King. You’d better get moving.

It’s nearly eight.”

Last call for check-in time was nine. It’d probably take him at least that long to work the kinks out of his aching body, and get a fresh coat of ointment slathered on his aches and pains and wrap up his ribcage in bandages. “Is there any hot water left to shower?”

“Should be. No one else has used it this morning.”

Colby flopped back down, a bad feeling churning in his gut.

Edgard sighed. “How long’s it gonna take before you ask where she is, McKay?”

“Fine. Where is she?”

“She gathered her stuff early this morning and headed to Gemma’s.”

“What stuff?”

“Her duffel bag. Some clothes.”

Fuck. Stay cool. “What’d she say before she left?”

“She said to tell you she’d see you later.” Edgard poked his head over the edge of the bed again and studied him.

Colby snapped, “What?”

“What happened last night besides the threesome,
amigo
?”

“You knew about it?”

He nodded. “Trevor came looking for me after. He knew something was up with you two. He said it felt like jealousy. You wanna talk about it?”

If Colby had a problem he needed to hash out, he usually talked to Trevor, not Edgard. But as Colby had an insanely crazy jealous streak thinking about Trevor and Channing together—when Trevor was, oh, fucking
gay
—maybe it was obvious he was going off the deep end where that little spitfire was concerned.

“What happened was I was a total dickhead.”

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“So apologize to her.”

“I don’t know if that will be enough. Fuck. I’m not good at this kind of shit. I never know what the hell I’m supposed to do. Or say. No wonder I’m still single.” Gritting his teeth against the pain, he sat up. Talking it out never solved a goddamned thing. He changed the subject. “Where were you last night anyway?”

“On the phone. My mother called.”

“From Brazil? Something serious?”

“Yeah. Evidently, there are some problems at my ranch in the last month. The foreman wouldn’t let her in when she drove up there to check on things. When he finally granted her access, she said at least fifty people are living around the main ranch house. They’ve butchered my cattle for food. Chopped down trees for firewood. Built some shanties…it’s a big mess.”

“Shit, man. I’m sorry. What are you going to do?”

“Go home. I should leave today.” Edgard hopped down from the bench seat and began to pace. “Trevor has his heart set on competing in Cheyenne at Frontier Days. I can’t just leave him high and dry. He needs me.” He expelled a bitter laugh. “That might be a first for him.”

Colby swung his legs to the ladder. “The preliminaries are in two days. There are at least four other heelers who could work with him, Ed.”

“Yeah, but he’s superstitious. He wants me as his heeler because we did so well in Cheyenne last year. Problem is we suck right now. So, as soon as we’re out of the race for the buckle and the money, I’ll be on a plane for Brazil.”

Colby opened his mouth. Closed it.

“What?”

“Does Trevor know you’re leaving?”

“Yep. What he doesn’t know is once I’m back home, I ain’t comin’

back here. He’s welcome to come with me. Or he can stay here. His choice.” Edgard looked at Colby. “All I know is I can’t do this anymore.

Trevor can’t have it both ways.”

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A heavy silence weighted the air.

Colby scratched his chin. “I wish I knew what to say.”

“There’s nothin’ to say. Love sucks all around,
amigo
.” On his way out, Edgard stopped at the door and turned back. “Piece of advice. Don’t blow this thing with Channing. Don’t hide how you feel about her.

Because some of us don’t get that choice.”

Colby had nothing to say to that either. And he only had half an hour before he had to show up, pretend he wasn’t beat to shit, confused as hell, and act ready to rodeo.

“Dammit, Gemma, I’m never gonna get this!”

“Oh hush, Channing. You’re doing fine.”

“How long did it take you to learn to tie quick release knots?”

Gemma grinned. “I learned when I was five, so I’ve been doing it a long time. Come on. Let’s get this tack hung up. I need to check on my stock before the rodeo starts.”

Channing looped the nylon rope over her shoulder, picked up the saddle and blanket and followed Gemma into the back of the horse trailer. “Thanks for letting me shower here this morning.”

“Little cramped in Trevor’s rig with you and them three big cowboys, huh?”

No, it was a little uncomfortable after what’d happened last night—

whatever the hell it’d been. She wasn’t exactly sure. And she’d had no desire to face Colby this morning, at least until she had her wits about her. Or if she figured out what’d gone on. She sighed.

“You gonna tell me what’s eating at you, girl?”

Channing didn’t answer.

“Well, something’s literally been eating at you. Does Colby know he left them big hickeys all over your neck? And streaks of razor burn? Did he try to bite your lips off, too? Cause your mouth is swollen.” Gemma 192

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placed a hand on Channing’s arm. “Oh, honey. How rough did he get on you last night?”

“Thanks for your concern, Gem, but it was entirely mutual.” She sighed again. “I’ll tell you later. Not right now. I need to think on it for a while longer, okay?”

“Sure thing. You know where to find me.”

Channing threaded the rope over the metal holders, keeping her eyes focused on her task. “Thank you for the riding lessons and…”
Just say it
.

“For hanging out with me. I guess it’s obvious I don’t have many friends.”

“Here or at home?”

“Either.”

“Why not?”

She traced the frayed end of the cotton flank strap with her fingertip.

“Because I’d rather be alone and be happy with my own company than be somebody I’m not so I can fit in with people whose company I despise.”

“This a realization you’ve come to recently?”

“Pretty much. Well, that’s not true. I’ve felt that way from the time I was old enough to realize I never fit in any place my parents took me. Or sent me. My sister always stood out so I just stayed in the background. I tried to blend so no one noticed how out of place I was.”

“Then like me, you’re better off alone. If them kinda folks you were living around can’t see you’re the genuine article, then screw ‘em. The way I see it, at least horses and cows appreciate all you do for them everyday. And they sure as shit don’t talk about you behind your back.”

Channing laughed.

“I’m a quart low on girlfriends myself, Channing. Steve’s friends’

wives were way older than me. He and I weren’t blessed with kids. I basically disowned my family. Frankly, since Steve was my best friend practically all my life I didn’t need anyone else.”

The clank of D-rings against the metal barrier filled the silence.

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Gemma grunted and slapped her hands on her jeans. A cloud of dust rose up. “Well, that was downright sappy. And we ain’t even drinkin’.”

She looked at Channing, lifted her brows and smirked. “Yet.”

They parted ways. Gemma went to check on her small group of steers and her stock foreman behind the chutes and Channing headed to the main entrance to pick up her a ticket at the box office.

In the family area, Callie stood and waved her over. It made her feel ridiculously happy they’d saved her a seat.

Channing hefted her bag and slid across the wooden bench, already feeling her muscles getting sore from the horse ride. And from Colby’s hard riding last night. “Morning. How are you guys?”

“I’m fine.” Callie smiled brightly. “But momma ain’t feelin’ so good this morning.”

Mary scowled at her can of 7-Up. “Thanks for sharing that with the world, Cal.”

“You whooping it up again last night, Mary?”