Cowboy Not Included: The Boot Knockers Ranch, Book 6 (5 page)

He nodded. “Horses, cows. We’ve got some chickens, but I avoid cleaning the coop. Not my thing. And there’s a lot of acreage to keep up.”

“I see.”

“Let’s go to the pool.”

Now that she could get on board with. She hadn’t been swimming in ages, and she relished the thought of doing laps then sinking into hot, bubbling water.

The ranch was spread across the valley in a neat fashion. Each building had a quaint red roof and the grounds were kept tidy. When they passed the office, a woman with short, blue hair rushed out.

“Booker.”

He stopped with a slow smile. “Howdy.”

“I just wanted to thank you for helping me yesterday.”

“Sure thing, sugar.”

The syrupy drawl made Skye groan in disgust. New muscles and a few tender moments while poring over pictures of his daughter couldn’t make him less of a man-whore.

“Your little trouble’s cleared up, then?” he asked.

She bobbed her head, and a blue lock of hair fell into one eye. “Definitely.” The way she said this, with a flare of her eyes and tongue flicking over her lip gave Skye no illusion as to how Booker had helped her.

Skye turned and started walking away, fast.

“I’m glad things worked out for you. Hey, Skye, wait up.” He reached her side in a few long steps.

She could barely stand his presence. Nor did she want it.

“Earlier I showed you a different pool. There are two and of course, the pond for skinny-dippin’ if you’re interested. I wouldn’t suggest it tonight, though. The water’ll be too cool after the rain.”

“I’m not interested in swimming with you at all.”

“Too bad. You look great in a bikini.”

Damn him to hell. She hadn’t had a compliment in forever, but having one from a man who gave them out to everything on two feet wasn’t welcome. If only he were as free with his secrets as he was with sweetly drawled praise.

She continued walking, avoiding conversation as much as possible and trying to keep from strangling the man. She couldn’t go to jail—her daughter needed her.

“I’m ready to go back to the bungalow,” she said.

“You don’t want to see the chickens?” His happy, open expression told her he was clueless to her animosity. She wasn’t doing a very good job of ditching him.

“Not right now.”

“Supper’s on in a few. You won’t want to miss Cook’s dinner, and I can’t let your sugar get too low.”

The man probably bedded the cook too. “Just how many people do you sleep with in a year?” she blurted, then threw up a hand. “Never mind. I don’t want to know and it’s none of my concern. Not anymore.”

“No, it’s not.” A shadow fell over his features, and his brows met in the middle.

“I’m going back to the bungalow.”

“I’ll walk you there.”

She thought about saying, “Don’t bother,” but figured she’d waste air. All the way back, she hated herself for sounding like a nagging wife.

At the door, she spun on him. “I really don’t care who you sleep with, Booker.”

“Good.”

“But I’m going to make it clear that you’re not sleeping with me. I get the bed and you can go back to wherever you sleep when you’re not…” She didn’t know how to say it.

“I’ll sleep on the couch.” He gestured at the closed door and the comfy sofa beyond.

“You’re really doing a good job of playing bodyguard, but I’m not going to put up with it.”

Reaching past her, he locked his hand on the doorknob. As he leaned close—too close—an unwelcome quiver took hold of her. “I promised you a restful vacation, Skye. But it’s not going to be spent in bed.”

With that, he brushed past her into the space and settled himself on the couch with ankles crossed. She stalked into the bedroom and slammed the door.

“What are you doing?” he called.

She didn’t bother biting off her growl of irritation. “I’m going to take a soothing bath.”
And plot my way around you, Booker dear.

Booker dragged his gaze over his sleeping ex-wife sprawled on the bed in nothing but a towel that had loosened around her breasts. The tops peeking from the terrycloth were the most succulent thing he’d seen in a long time.

Controlling his breathing to ensure she didn’t wake up, he let his gaze linger over the dip of her waist and the flare of her hip. Her short hair dripped into one closed eye, and she still slept like the dead. Thank God.

He followed the lines of the rope he’d bound her with. The knots below her wrists looked as if they’d hold a wildcat. When she awoke, he had no doubt she’d fight like one. But he couldn’t have her leaving the bungalow either.

Creeping from the room, he threw a look over his shoulder. She wouldn’t be walking anywhere with those ropes around her ankles. Sure, she’d be spitting mad, but it was for her own good.

With any luck, he’d be back from his rendezvous and untie her before she woke up.

He slipped outside and leaped the porch steps. The light was fading and he was aching. The walk to the bunkhouse took less time than normal, since he was in a rush.

Teller was waiting for him.

He’d been sleeping with Teller off and on since the man came to the ranch. There’d been an immediate attraction and they shared the same values not to mention a hunger for a certain type of female.

Countless threesomes had resulted, but when they got lonely, they turned to each other.

The space was empty except for one cowboy lying on his cot. Teller started to move as Booker entered, but he waved a hand. “Don’t get up.” In a few quick steps he was on top of him, covering him with his body and taking his mouth.

Teller’s lips were bruising-hard and his cock harder.

“Mmm,” Booker groaned as he delved his tongue into the man’s salty mouth. Not wasting a second, Teller ran his hands down Booker’s chest, tweaking nipples, to his fly.

“I’ve been waiting all day,” Teller said.

Booker closed his fingers over his lover’s nipple and rolled it between his fingers. He was already shirtless and his fly was open, revealing a patch of white cotton over his straining cock. As soon as Teller freed Booker’s shaft, he rubbed it against Teller’s bulge.

They shared a primal groan. Boots started flying, Booker’s hat hit the floor. When they were naked, Teller surged upward and bit Booker’s chin. “I’m going to suck your cock.”

“Put your mouth where your money is.”

“Come up here.” Teller still lay on his back, eyes glassy with desire.

Booker moved up the cot, glad it was sturdy enough to accommodate two men. His cock throbbed, his balls ached. He clasped a hand around Teller’s neck, fingers resting on the wild stallion tattoo and his erratic pulse. Staring down at a man when he took your cock in his mouth was not to be missed, in Booker’s mind.

Teller parted his lips wide as Booker slid inside. Pressure rocketed through his groin and the tip of his erection seemed ready to explode. As his lover closed his lips around Booker’s length, a guttural moan left him.

Scorching wet heat. Bliss. He rocked his hips. His swollen head hit the back of Teller’s throat.

“Fuck, you’re good at that.” He pushed deeper, trusting Teller could take him. His mouth watered with the idea of sucking Teller too.

This was a part of him Skye didn’t know. He’d never explored it in his early years of marriage, having been completely satisfied with her. But he had no inhibitions about being with men. They were all bodies—humans.

Teller clasped his hands around Booker’s ass and dragged him into his mouth. With every pulse of his hips, Booker grew harder. Reaching back, he found Teller’s cock waving like a flag.

He grasped the thickness and stroked. Pre-come pearled at the tip, and Booker swiped his thumb through it, his balls clenching in need.

“My turn,” he rasped, drawing his cock from his lover’s mouth.

Teller released him, a crooked smile quirking his lips as Booker moved down his body and sucked Teller’s cock into his mouth in one swift move.

Hollowing his cheeks, he gave all he had. If he had hours he’d stay here and enjoy his friend, but he couldn’t deny he felt guilty leaving Skye tied up. Not to mention he was getting satisfaction while she burned.

Not exactly fair play, but when had that ever been his game? Besides, he’d take a toy or two back for her to enjoy. If he was lucky, she’d let him watch.

Desire reaching insurmountable heights, he released Teller’s cock. “Get on your hands and knees.”

Teller threw him a wicked grin and flipped over. While Booker fitted himself with a condom and squirted ample lube on his lover’s pucker, his heart thumped. He needed a good, hard fuck to wipe Skye from his system.

“I can’t hold back,” Booker ground out.

“Never asked you to.”

“Fuck, yeah.” Without even warming him up with fingers first, Booker eased his cock past the tight rim of Teller’s ass.

Blinded to everything but pleasure, he filled his lover in a long glide. His nerves tingled and his breath came in quick pants. Maintaining control was going to kill him.

He locked his hands on Teller’s sides and fucked him.

Deep, shallow, churning his hips. Teller moved with him, taking every inch. When his balls slapped his lover’s body, Booker could stand no more. He stiffened and blew with a roar.

Teller’s body clamped around his pulsating dick, and Booker had the presence of mind to reach around his lover. Teller’s cock was spurting, but he wrapped a hand around the shaft and pumped it slowly in time to his own jets.

What felt like an hour passed. When Booker roused and pulled from his friend’s body, they shared a long groan.

“If I can’t have pussy this week, at least I’ve got you.” Teller collapsed facedown on the cot.

Booker disposed of the condom and sat next to his friend, a hand on his spine. “I couldn’t ask for a better friend.”

They burst out laughing and shared a look.

Teller sobered first. “That woman. I heard through the grapevine she’s your ex.”

“This ranch has too many goddamn ears.”

“It’s true then?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“That sucks, man. You snagged her because you’re jealous, right?”

Booker rubbed his knuckles over his jaw, creating a rasping noise. “Not really. We’re over each other.”

“But you still wanna fuck her.”

God, did he. First he wanted her to sit on his face and scream his name as she came on his tongue.

His cock started to harden again.

“It’s complicated,” Booker answered.

“No doubt. You gonna let her have some fun?”

Booker contemplated his friend’s question. It made sense to everyone but him. He wasn’t against her getting nailed, but she should have stayed home and had a one-night stand like other single mothers he’d heard about.

Having Skye on his turf made him want to control everything. The world as he knew it was swirling in a wild wind—and she and his fellow Boot Knockers were nowhere near touching down on solid earth.

“I don’t know if I’ll let her fuck anyone, Tell.”

“That’s hardly fair.” He rolled to his feet and stretched, body carved in shadows. “If you need me, you know where to find me.”

With that, Teller strutted to the bathroom, leaving Booker alone. For ten breaths he sat there, thinking about Skye and how he’d left things back then. How he’d left things in the bungalow too.

Mind made up, he hurriedly dressed and unlocked his toy cupboard. He selected two items from the shelf he never touched. Then he took them back to his little wildcat ex. Now she couldn’t say he wasn’t giving her a good vacation.

When Booker walked in, Skye unleashed her fury. Her wrists were chafed from trying to free them and the skin on her ankles burned. Her throat was hoarse from screaming.

Lot of good that had done. After only a few screams she’d realized she was alone in the bungalow. Five more and she’d understood a woman yelling wasn’t out of the ordinary. Her cries didn’t sound much different from the wails of ecstasy.

“Who the hell do you think you are, tying me up while I’m asleep and leaving me?”

His gaze dipped over her bare body. The towel she’d wrapped herself in after her hot bath had fallen off in her struggle and there was no way to cover herself.

“I’m sorry about that. I had to go out and I couldn’t have you running around the ranch throwing yourself at every Boot Knocker.”

“Why the hell not? I paid for it. Untie me. I’m going to talk to the administration.”

“Fat lot of good that will do. They’re all occupied.”

“Great. They’re all fucking? I’m the only person on this whole ranch not getting any.”

From behind his back, Booker revealed two toys. A silver bullet and a rabbit. The little ears drew her interest.

“Oh I’ve always wanted to use one of those.”

What am I saying?

“Untie me or so help me, you’ll regret it.”

He was still for a long moment, holding electric pleasure in his big hands and staring at her in a way that made her wish she weren’t nude—the pucker of her nipples gave away her arousal.

It had been kind of hot to wake up to find herself tied up. From anyone else, she might have been frightened. But knowing Booker had done this to her had given her a bit of a thrill.

Damn him to hell.

“Right. Now,” she bit off, and he moved.

He set aside the toys and set to work on the impossible knots. His long fingers made quick work of them, though, and in under a minute she was free. As he hovered nearby, his scents slammed her. Pure man. How many nights had she snuggled against his chest, loving the way he smelled?

She snapped both toys into her hand then jumped up and propelled him out the door. When she slammed it in his face, his voice projected to her. “I don’t get to watch you play?”

She leaned against the door, quivering for just that. And so much more. “No.”

“Do I at least get a thank you?”

“No.” She twisted the lock and threw herself on the bed, legs splayed. Sliding the rabbit into her pussy, she envisioned Booker going crazy on the other side of the door. She switched on the toy and a hum filled the room.

Moaning, she closed her eyes and let the little bunny ears work their magic.

A noise against the door pulled her from her delirious state, and she heard a quiet, “Damn.”