Giddy Up (8 page)

After she’d thanked them, Ted had
quietly confided they’d chosen red because Matt had said the color
reminded him of her painted nipples. Those few words had turned her
on, but nothing else happened. Her sex life hadn’t been fed as well
as her stomach had since coming to the Big W Ranch.

The work was hard, physically and
mentally, and satisfying as she and Molly were their own
bosses.

Despite what had happened in the
barn office, it was all the same. Each night she’d been treated to
gentle goodnight kisses and tender hugs from Matt and Ted before
they left her at the door. It was sweet of them, although sweet was
not how she’d expected them to handle their budding relationship.
It wasn’t what she wanted, either.

Every night since arriving, she’d
lain alone in her bed and frustration grew even further out of
control. She wished they’d make a move, either one of them, and
give them all what they wanted.

When they’d spoken on the first
night she was sure she’d said her nights belonged to them. Why had
they left her to sleep alone? Wake up alone? She wanted a man to
take her badly, and she wanted the person to be them, or at least
one of them. On the other hand, the project was going smoothly
which meant she couldn’t complain.

Sakura wanted something to happen
that would hopefully see her needs for Matt and Ted were
satisfied.

Hurrying down the hallway to the
kitchen, she stopped when she found Ted cooking breakfast. He moved
easily around the small room, gracefully working over the old white
stove in his work clothes and boots. Sakura leaned against the
doorjamb and soaked in the homey moment.

Even though she’d traveled beyond
Osaka’s city limits, she admitted to being a woman used to living
with little exposure to the world at large. Despite the limited
travel, she’d found a sense of what home should be at the Big W
Ranch.

Feeling like she had landed in the
right place was helped by how her heart swelled and happiness
bloomed whenever Ted or Matt were nearby. They made her feel like
she’d finally found the place where she was meant to be.

“Morning, I didn’t know we were
meeting here.” Sakura walked into the kitchen, picked up the jug of
orange juice, and filled the two glasses already on the table.
There were usually five of them and she asked where the others
were.

“Jon took Molly to Bozeman to get
some printing done and Matt will meet with us for lunch. You and I
are going riding.” Ted walked over, placed a kiss on her forehead,
then placed their plates on the table before sitting
down.

“Riding?” Even though they were on
a ranch with horses, she hadn’t considered getting back on one, but
wasn’t turned off by the idea, either.

“Court brought over two horses, one
for you and the other for Molly. I’m supposed to tell you how Sunny
helped in the picking. From what I saw when they were delivered,
she’s done a great job.”

“How exciting.” She may have
muttered her response, but it wasn’t from a lack of enthusiasm for
their upcoming ride.

Hearing him mention the other
woman’s name suddenly turned on a light bulb. She was reminded of
the advice Sunny had given her the day they’d arrived in Gardiner.
She had said something about having to make the first move,
otherwise nothing would happen. With a secret smile, she realized
how right the other woman had actually been. While she’d been
waiting for them to do something, they were waiting for her start
things off.

She was the one who made the first
move when Matt appeared in the barn office and was rewarded. Not
fully, but that wasn’t his fault.

“All hands not involved in the
calving and tagging project are rounding up and prepping a group of
cattle we’ll take to auction next week. While they’re doing that,
you and I are going to check out the fencing for the eastern
pasture. There was some damage done during the last storm and it
needs to be fixed before we bring any cattle to graze.

“Afterward, we’ll check the two
emergency line shacks along the way for what is needed to restock
its provisions. Lastly, if there’s time, we’ll come back through
the northern fields to see how the new calves are
doing.”

Apparently Ted had their day all
planned out and she looked forward to spending one out from behind
a computer.

There were a few guys working with
the new calves. Each one had been assigned a handheld device to
input the information for the new double tags. A few hiccups showed
up early on and were individually worked out, but nothing recently.
She was comfortable in stepping away from work for the day and
seeing more of the ranch.

Breakfast was basic and delicious.
He’d made plenty of toast, bacon, eggs and juice. While she ate,
Sakura realized not only were there no cheese or potatoes present,
there hadn’t been at any meal since they’d arrived. Maybe it was
because she’d told him what she and Molly had noticed about the odd
American food habit. She hoped he hadn’t been insulted by their
discovery. It had all been in good fun.

While she washed dishes, they
talked about the meeting Matt had returned from the night
before.

“You know what, Sakura,” he walked
over to stand by her at the sink, drying the dishes she’d washed,
“with Canada having limitations on their imports, not as stiff as
Japan’s but definitely not free flowing like it used to be, they
could be another market for you to offer guidance to ranchers. U.S.
beef is sold mostly to Mexico, South Korea, Japan and Canada. Learn
the import rules for those countries and, with the success of the
program we installed here, any consultancy firm you form will be in
demand.”

She smiled up at him and was
amazed. For the first time she realized her private life had taken
precedence over work and she couldn’t be more pleased.

“People in the industry are already
talking. They’re curious about what you can offer them. The other
day I had a call from a guy I know who manages a spread in Wyoming.
He and I had talked before Matt went to Japan and what he was
looking for while there. Apparently, after hearing what we were
doing, he and the man who owns the ranch discussed future
plans.

“They came up with a plan to pick a
single marketplace and focus on selling to them what they want. The
manager wondered if the rumors were right about a representative
from Nakamura Enterprises being here and would we mind him picking
your brain for help. Sweetheart, you’re famous already.” He laughed
and put a plate in the cupboard.

“I didn’t realize people would be
openly curious about what we’d set up here. I guess I should start
making detailed notes on how I’d like the consultancy firm to work
and start setting down some goals. One thing I’m sure of is that I
don’t want to jump into the deep end before I know where I’m
headed.” She wiped her hands dry and looked over at Ted to find him
watching her with a smile on his face.

“What?”

“Do you know what seeing you in the
kitchen is doing to me?”

“Other than happy I did the
dishes?”

He laughed and wrapped his arms
around her, and pulled her close enough that she could feel exactly
how pleased he was.

“Seeing you here makes me think of
a white picket fence, a pie cooling on the window ledge, and you,
my woman, naked and ready for loving.” Ted shifted her shirt collar
to the side and laid his lips right where her neck joined her
shoulder. In an instant, goose bumps covered her body, tightening
her nipples and bringing her passionate needs straight to the
surface, ready for attention.

As they stood there, wrapped around
each other, his desire for her and hers for him expanded even
further. Her clit pulsed with a need to be touched and her desire
begged for satisfaction. They were already in her heart, now she
had to figure out how to get them to take her body.

“Come on, let’s go riding.” Ted
took hold of her hand and pulled her toward the back door. He
picked up a beige felt cowboy hat with a brown leather band he must
have brought with him and placed it on her head. “Fit
okay?”

“Yes, my first cowboy hat. Thank
you.” She blushed as she remembered the night she’d played a geisha
for Matt and wore his hat as she rode his body. What a wonderful
night that had been—she wanted a repeat.

They left the guest house and
started toward the barn. “You don’t have any problems with horses,
do you? I mean, I don’t want you to do this unless you want
to.”

“No, not at all, though it’s been a
while since I rode. Back when I was in college, I took lessons and
eventually advanced to well-groomed trails. It’s been a good three
or four years since I’ve been on a horse. I’m looking forward to
picking it back up with help, of course.” Her memories may have
been romanticized, but she remembered being out amongst nature.
Even though she’d been part of a group, there’d been a real sense
of freedom whenever she’d gone riding.

“Don’t worry, we’ll take it nice
and slow. We’re in no hurry today.”

They walked into the barn and
immediately she noticed the beautiful brown and white dappled horse
waiting in the first stall. The animal watched her with big brown
eyes surrounded by long lashes and ears perked with interest. As
she walked up, hand out in a bid to not startle, Ted was there at
her side talking in a calm voice.

“This is Star. He’s a gentleman
gelding who enjoys sugar cubes, but will eat pieces of crab apples
as well. Court said he likes to take easy strolls with an
occasional dash across an open field for fun.” He took her hand and
stroked it over the long silken nose. The horse pushed his head
into her touch then shook his head, causing the mane to dance
around.

“Looks like he’s eager to go out.”
Ted held her arm as they stepped out of the way. A groom she hadn’t
realized was there came forward and led the horse from the stall.
While he held Star’s reins, Ted fussed with the straps and stirrups
before turning to her.

“Tell me when you’re ready,
Sakura.”

Ted waited for her nod before
bending over, offering his laced fingers as a step to help her to
gain the horses back. Gripping the pommel, she put her boot onto
his clasped hands and swung her other leg over Star’s back. She
quickly settled into position, feet in stirrups and back straight.
The positioning was different from English style riding, but
figured she’d settle in to the rhythm.

She smiled when he walked around
her to make sure everything was secure. Like his brother, he was
protective and she liked that about him, even though it wasn’t
necessary. He and Matt knew she was capable of taking on the world,
but it was reassuring they wanted to be there with her when she did
it. They were real men, and she counted herself lucky to have found
not one but two who wanted her in their life.

“All right?” On her nod, he handed
her the reins, then went to mount his own horse.

“We’re going to have fun today, my
handsome Star. You were definitely given the perfect name. You’re
as gorgeous and poised as any Hollywood star would be, and as
strong and confident as those in the sky.” Feeling good, she
reached out and ran her fingers through her horse’s mane while
praising him.

Once they were ready, Ted clucked
his tongue and led the way out of the barn, eventually settling at
her side. They walked their horses down a dirt lane before turning
off to make their way over a subtle slope.

In less than fifteen minutes, she
couldn’t see the barn, house, or any of the other outbuildings. It
was just them and their horses beneath the big, crisp blue sky.
They made their way to the eastern edge of the property and rode
along the fence while checking for damage. Eventually, they found a
dozen odd posts pushed from the ground by the frost.

After a quick inspection, Ted
decided to come out the next day with a couple of hands and fix the
fence. While he made notes on his smartphone, she walked her horse
to a nearby copse of trees and back again. Next she made the trip a
little faster, which led into an all-out run.

When she returned to his side, it
was to see pride on her companion’s face.

“Forget this tidy trail crap,
princess. You’re a good rider.”

“Thank you. I enjoyed riding
whenever I went, only it wasn’t often enough, and definitely not in
a place as open and wild as this.”

“Well, you’ll be able to go
everyday if you’d like. However, I’m going to ask you don’t go out
alone, at least not yet. Phone coverage isn’t good out here and the
spread is large enough you could easily get lost or wander into one
of the fields set aside for breeding.” While they talked, Ted had
come over to stand at her side and put his hand on her
knee.

The simple touch from him brought
her need for sexual satisfaction racing right back to the
forefront. She believed she’d had it under control, but that was
apparently a big fat lie. Riding had brought it all back, and then
his touch had her nearly begging for attention.

The leather saddle nudged her clit
ring and teased her already excited senses. Neither man knew she
was pierced there, and it wickedly reminded her of how long it had
been since she experienced an orgasm. Too long, especially since
there were two gorgeous men offering themselves to her.