Authors: Stacey Espino
“Come on, darlin’. They’ll follow us to the site.” Dawson used a gentle hand to the small of her back to lead her away. She couldn’t help but peer back over her shoulder to get a better look of the cowboys walking away, to ensure they were real and not a figment of her imagination. Jane hoped this trip wouldn’t prove a nightmare.
Chapter Four
Chase was still dazed as he hit the gas. He came to the designated address expecting to meet some spoiled little rich boy, not a woman, and a tempting one at that. She had an air of confidence mixed with guarded vulnerability. Not much different than his sister, Angel. He had no clue why this modern woman willingly agreed to partake in an old-fashioned cattle roundup. It’d didn’t make sense. If she was old Mr. Williams’s niece, it may be sentimental in nature. Sure was one expensive walk down memory lane if she was paying each of them ten large. But he wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Easy money was a rarity in the grasslands of Alberta. With the devil of a summer, things could go from bad to worse for farmers if they didn’t get rain back home soon. The ground here was moist, so he prayed the clouds would shift north to bless his town in the same way.
They weren’t far from the edge of the Williams property, where the horses and supplies should be waiting. He brought his own saddle. If was going to be on horseback for weeks, he wanted to be comfortable. He’d prefer his own gelding, but wasn’t willing to put him through the long ride by trailer.
He slowed down when the two trucks ahead of him halted to a stop near a wooden lean-to. The city girl struggled her way down the passenger side of the truck. Chase parked and watched, finding the sight amusing. He shifted to the side to reach his pack of smokes. After lighting up he took a heavy drag, sighing as he released the cloud of smoke in the cab. Regardless of what Ms. Williams said, he didn’t judge her ability to lead a cattle roundup because she was a woman. Hell, he’d trust Angel, or even his mother, to outshine most cowboys. It was the fact she was clueless. He had sized her up in less than a minute, knowing she was ill-fitted for the task ahead of her—manicured nails, improper clothing, salon hair, sinfully high heels, and that smug urban attitude he detested.
He took another deep inhale from his cigarette as she approached his truck a while later. Chase admitted the woman had nice legs, long for her petite size. She tried to maintain her balance in the improper footwear, but just looked like a sorry fool, wobbling as if she walked a loose tightrope.
She knocked on the glass and he rolled it down, leaning an elbow out the driver’s side window. “Mr. Garner, do you plan on joining us, or do you plan on taking a nap?”
“Didn’t know you were ready to head out just yet.”
“Well it’s going to take time to get prepared, and we’re on a very tight timeline.” The wind fluttered her auburn hair, but she was quick to rearrange it behind her ears. “My uncle’s workers just dumped everything in that shack. The horses are tied up on an old post.”
He laughed out loud and flicked his cigarette out the open window. It landed near her shiny black shoes. Seemed even wealth didn’t guarantee good help.
“Gross!” She took a step back. “And what’s so funny? That just means more work for the three of you.”
“I was hired to transport cattle, not for manual labor.” He watched as her eyes widened and her mouth went slack. Chase wondered how long she’d be able to maintain her icy exterior once faced with cold, pitch-black nights, wild animals, and less-than-stellar food. All it would take was one little “please” and he’d be more than happy to assist her, make her mission easier. But as long as she chose to be a spoiled brat, he’d treat her how his momma would, and not encourage her behavior. A good spanking would do her a world of good. He’d love to dole out that kind of punishment.
“Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money in this day and age. I figure you could buy yourself plenty of clean jeans with that. Maybe some shaving cream and razors, too.”
He bit his lip and the retort begging to blurt out. Rather, he spoke slow and controlled. “Does my appearance bother you, Ms. Williams?”
“Well, I’ve never met a cowboy until today, but it appears you all have the same lack of hygiene. I suppose I shouldn’t have expected much else when you work with cows, pigs, and horses all day.”
Chase didn’t know whether to fume or laugh. He did know that he’d had enough of her forked tongue. She was forced to back up when he pushed open his door and slammed it shut. The haughty look on her face morphed into one of submission. She was a slip of a woman, easy to trap between his arms against his truck.
He looked down at her, taking a deep breath before speaking. “Listen, little lady. You may be paying our wage for this fool adventure of yours, but don’t forget who’s in control when we’re out on the prairies.”
“Let me guess—”
“No, not me,” he interrupted. “Mother Nature.” He tilted her chin up so she’d be forced to look him in the eye. Her eyes were green with a flame of gold around her pupils. “If you’re gonna survive two weeks out there in the elements, you’ll need men who know what they’re doing. In my humble opinion, you’d be wise not to piss off those men before the trip even begins.”
She ducked under his shoulder so fast he had to do a double take. As she stumbled away on her heels, she called back over her shoulder. “And I suggest you recognize the woman offering three hicks a ton of easy money. There was a long list for me to choose from, cowboy.”
Could he strangle her now?
* * * *
Jane bit her tongue to keep from whining from the pain in her ankle as she stumbled away.
Stupid Mr. Seymour and his Tim Hortons run.
She was completely out of her comfort zone in so many ways. The decision to go through with this crazy stipulation in the will had taken a lot of thought. She’d almost called the lawyer about a dozen times to tell him to give the offer to her cousin. But when she set her mind to go through with the roundup, she put her whole heart and soul into it. She put everything on the line.
Chase was one hundred percent right—without her hired hands, she’d be helpless, and never meet her deadline. What on earth would she do with five thousand smelly cows on endless acres of land? It would be a living nightmare, and she’d only fail.
But there was more to it than that. Of all the luck, she had to be teamed up with three of the most mouth-watering men she’d ever seen. Why couldn’t they be older, fatter, uglier? It’s what she’d expected—some old rodeo has-beens looking for part-time work. Instead, it looked like she had advertised for cowboy cover models. They’d only serve to be a distraction. She wanted nothing to do with the three ill-mannered bush men. There was no room in her life for a man, especially one straight from the farm. They were rough, dirty, probably spit every two seconds, pissed on trees, and fucked anything that walked—including farm animals. Then why couldn’t she stop picturing them naked, on top of her?
Back at the lean-to, she noticed the other two men were rummaging around the back of the oversized pickup. Whatever they were discussing amused them both immensely. The only thing funny for Jane was her joke of a life. As she neared, she realized they were rooting through one of her matching pink bags.
“Hey! What are doing in my stuff?”
Bradley, the cute blond, jumped when she spoke and shoved whatever he held back into her bag. “Nothin’.”
“What do you mean nothing? You were in my bag!” She hobbled the remaining distance and pushed both of them aside. All her lace panties were sitting on the top, and her clothes ruffled. Then she found the object of their amusement. She’d ordered the nine-inch silicone vibrator online to relieve those late-night urges. It was thick, pink, and worked on just two AA batteries.
Her face heated. She all but stomped her feet, and that was only because her ankle hurt and toes were painfully scrunched.
“You saw fit to pack your little friend for this trip? Can’t go too long without pleasuring yourself, eh, sweetheart?” Dawson had a victorious smirk on his face.
“Look, it’s really none of your damn business.” She hastily zipped up her bag.
“It is if I have to worry about a horny city girl jumping my bones when I’m sleeping under the stars.”
She ground her teeth together, her heart rate increasing by the second. “For your information, Romeo, that little gadget can give me a hell of lot more satisfaction that a real man. It’s hard, always ready, and makes me come in two minutes flat.” Jane wasn’t stupid. She knew what turned men on and what didn’t. She’d chosen her words carefully, hoping to shut them up and put an end to the uncomfortable discussion.
What she said had been partially a lie. Real men couldn’t bring her to orgasm, but her
little friend
was becoming less and less fulfilling the longer she used it. Still, it was the best choice she had next to complete celibacy.
“Sounds like you’re describing me. But, I promise, I’d bring you to heights your plastic substitute never could.” He didn’t give up easy. Dawson may have pissed her off, but he also aroused her, making her wonder exactly what it would feel like to spend one night with him. He was untamed and would probably be a stallion in bed.
“You’re disgusting.” She dragged her bag out of the truck bed and pulled it behind her by one handle. “We need to get going. There’s really no reason for us to speak, so unless it has something to do with business, kindly keep your crude comments to yourself.”
“She still running her mouth?” Chase joined the other two heathens at the truck.
Dawson felt the need to fill him in entirely. “She’d a tad testy we found her vibrating dildo.” She cringed as she walked toward the horses. Leave it to a man to make something so good sound so dirty.
“She won’t need it with three cowboys to keep her company.” Chase’s deep, rich baritone promised hours of mind-numbing pleasure.
“Shut up! Load the horses and let’s get the fuck out of here!” She’d reached her boiling point. Her pussy throbbed and her nerves were shot. The sooner she could be away from these men and on her own horse, the better.
Once alone and hidden by the wooden planks of the old shed, she sagged against it and took a cleansing breath. Why was she close to tears? Sexual frustration, her whole future at stake, and these infuriating cowboys—no wonder she felt ready to crawl into a hole. Back at her office, she may have hated her job, but she could do it with her eyes closed. Everyone came to her for help and advice, even her boss, but here she was nothing, completely clueless. The vulnerability drove her nuts.
Once she’d gotten her bearings, she realized the three men were talking amongst themselves, so decided to eavesdrop to see if they were gossiping about her. They had out land maps, surveys of the land, and what looked like a high-tech compass. She sighed in relief. At least they finally had their heads on the task at hand.
She approached one of the horses. They were such majestic animals, but also large and intimidating. When she’d visited her uncle, there was one horse she’d fallen in love with. She loved to brush, feed, and care for him, but riding was another story. Jane had never taken well to the saddle, mostly due to her fear of heights, but had to put aside her reservations for the sake of her future. These two weeks would be the catalyst for the rest of her life, positive or negative was left to be seen.
No matter what she felt, she certainly wouldn’t give her companions the satisfaction of witnessing her discomforts. How hard could it be to pretend to be an expert rider? She’d love to show them up, certain they’d look for any weakness.
“They didn’t leave a chuck wagon?”
Jane whirled around, her hand on one of the horse’s necks for balance. Bradley patted the horse. The sun glittered off his blue eyes as he held her gaze. “What’s a chuck wagon? I don’t know everything about country living. I live in a high-rise condo. The only trees I see in a day are decorative ones planted by the city on the boulevards.” Her anger and passion had drained away. They hadn’t even begun the trip, and she was mentally exhausted.
He moved around her, adjusted the horse’s halter, handling the animal with respect. “Usually there’s a wagon with food and a cook that come along on these long trips.” Bradley wasn’t like the other two. His demeanor was softer around the edges, and he had yet to outwardly insult her or bark out a sexual innuendo.
“Great.”
“Let’s check the bags before you start frettin’.” He made his way to the supplies unceremoniously piled in a heap by the side of the lean-to. As the crouched over and unbuttoned some of the saddlebags, she noted the bunched up muscles in his shoulders working. His hair was dirty-blond and his neck was sun-kissed a beautiful golden hue. She wondered if he had one of those nasty farmer’s tans, or if his muscled torso was evenly tanned. “Look here, darlin’. We’re all set. Won’t be fancy, but we won’t go hungry.” Jane peeked over his head. There were provisions such as jerky, dried fruit, beans, and coffee.