Rules of the Ride: A Silver Star Ranch Novel (9 page)

Her excitement is contagious and I watch as she begs with Marvel and Merek. After a few promises, threats, and several dares, they finally give in.

“Let me go change, Maverik, you know I’d never be caught dead in this out in public.”

“I know, Pinks.”

She wraps her arms around my neck and lays a long, lingering kiss on me.

“Thank you. This is just what I need.”

“I know,” I whisper back on her lips. “Let’s go have some fun.”

I slap her on the ass, causing her to squeal as she runs for my house. Challis takes off as well to change. She’s not the mini-skirt high fashion like Ella, but she damn well dresses to the western part, always in designer jeans and tight tops. I swear the tight tops are just to drive Merek mad.

“You draw a good horse tomorrow night?” I ask Merek.

“Yeah, a rank son of a bitch. They won Houston on him last weekend. I’m hoping the more rodeos I go to and drag Challis to she’ll ask for another horse.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” Marvel says. “That girl won’t run barrels again.”

“I won’t give up on her.” Merek’s voice is defensive.

“Hey.” I swat Marvel on the shoulder. “Come with us tomorrow night. You’ve been too busy working and need to hang.”

He only shrugs at the invitation.

“You’ll fucking go, even if I have to tie your ass in the bed of my truck,” Merek says.

“Fine. Let me go check the barn one more time before we leave.” Marvel walks away with a defeated stature from slumped shoulders and a hanging head.

“He stays in one of our sights at all times.” I turn to Merek.

“Agreed, he’s not himself.”

“No, Saint has gotten to him.”

Merek stares me down. “He doesn’t leave our sight. He scared me tonight. That’s not Marvel.”

“It’s exhaustion speaking. The boy is so damn passionate about this ranch.”

The sound of clicking grabs my attention, and I look over to see a long-legged beauty walking down the sidewalk. Hot pink high heels and a leather black mini-skirt paired with a tight white tank nearly causes me to blow in my jeans.

“Holy fuck, Ella, get your ass back in that house before I tear your clothes off and have my way with you.”

She giggles at my response but keeps strutting in my direction.

“The girl still has it,” I hear Merek say in the background. I can’t focus in on anything but her.

She stops inches from me. “You like it?”

“Fucking love it,” I growl back at her. “But one question.”

“Yeah.”

“How in the hell am I supposed to contain myself, Ella?”

“Not my problem.” She giggles again and bites down on her lower lip.

“I’d suggest you stop giggling and biting that lip.”

“Or?” She teases, sinking her teeth deeper into her lower lip.

I swoop in on her and throw her perfect little ass over my shoulder and head for the truck.

“Maverik, stop.” Ella tries to talk through her giggles.

I glide my free hand up the back of her leg and underneath her skirt, sinking my fingertips into the flesh of her ass and growl again. I’ll never make it through the night without taking her. Truck, alley, empty bathroom, any of the above stat when we hit the bar.

M
averik’s hand
doesn’t leave my exposed thigh the whole drive. Clearly it doesn’t bother him that both his brothers and sister-in-law are in the truck with us. A couple of times he roams dangerously close to my panties and the sensation is so sweet I don’t have the will to stop him.

Marvel seems a million miles away staring out the passenger window, so I even let my hand linger in Maverik’s lap. Merek and Challis are busy arguing again in the back seat about their reception. I nearly feel sorry for Maverik and his raging boner, it has to hurt. I swear walking away from him this time will kill me.

The deep voice of George Strait fills the cab, muffling our groping and little whimpers.

“You know it’s not healthy to torment a man like you are.”

I look up to Maverik, who has a shit eating grin on his face.

“Oh really,” I reply.

“I might go blind from this fucking hard on.”

My hands cover my belly as I nearly pee my pants from laughter.

“It’s not funny, Pinks.”

“Oh, it’s funny. I’m not sure if the look on your face or what you said is funnier.” I lay my head down on his shoulder and enjoy this moment of happiness. I feel Maverik grab my hand and place it right back on the center of his boner.

“Hold on, darling.”

Laughter attacks my senses again and this time I can’t control it.

“What’s so damn funny up there?” Merek asks from the backseat.

“Maverik is being naughty.”

The bright neon lights of the honky tonk come into view and excitement courses through me. This is one of my absolute favorite places of all time. We used to sneak in here with our fake IDs before we were twenty-one. The music is loud, drinks are cold, and the atmosphere electric. This honky tonk could be the poster child for Texas with every inch of it drenched in cowhides, horns, leather, and one hundred percent country.

As we step inside, nothing has changed. The same welcoming smell and Texas plastered all over. It’s crowded tonight with people everywhere. The majority of the bodies are dancing, while some are bellied up to the bar and the rest occupying booths.

“Dance with me.” I clutch onto Maverik’s wrist before he responds and tug him to the dance floor. But let’s be honest; Maverik’s a giant of a man, so he’s moving willingly.

Redneck Girl
by the Bellamy Brothers begins to thump through the speakers. Maverik laces his fingers with mine and sends me straight out from him.

“Think you can keep up after all these years, Pinks?”

I answer with a nod and a sexy smile. Maverik takes that as his cue and pulls me into him. Our chests collide hard and then it’s on. He whirls me around in a circle and then swings me to the side. He leads the dance like he always used to, and I follow his tugs and pulls, picking up on his pattern quickly.

Side to side and then underneath his arms, my head spins with excitement as he doesn’t slow down, and he keeps my body hustling right along with his. The tip of my high heel only bumps into his boot a couple of times. Mentally I pat myself on the back when my feet keep up and don’t hitch once. Every step, twirl, and swing comes natural to me with my body gracing past Maverik’s but never long enough to linger.

The song ends with a loud cheer following it. When I look up, I see the crowd of people who were on the dance floor circled around us.

“Holy shit.” I pause to catch my breath. “Were they all watching us?”

“Looks like it, Pinks.” Maverik tips my chin to look up at him. “We’re perfect for each other.”

His lips crash into mine, causing the crowd to cheer even louder and me to melt into him further. A slow song begins to play and without missing a beat, Maverik lifts my arms up to his shoulders as he pulls me in and begins leading the way. We sway together seamlessly. He undresses me using his eyes with his powerful stare. Maverik’s taut muscles brush into me, causing me to shudder and forcing my eyes to shut. The music carries us both across the dance floor without a second thought.

My fingers rub long lines up and down the back of his neck. Maverik’s my champion, victor, and warrior all in one perfect package that I’ll never be able to have. How evil is the world when something this radiant is offered but also off limits?

Lost in my thoughts with the only sensation of Maverik gliding his hand up and down my back, I let go and peek into my gift and let myself feel what it would be like. An imaginary diamond on my ring finger, Slatter as a last name, and Maverik always at my side.

Standing on my tiptoes, I whisper into his ear, “I love you, Maverik. I’ve never loved anyone else.”

I place my finger over his lips knowing he’ll be ready to fight for me, and that may be the part I’m the most in love with. I fuse my lips to his and give him every single thing I have to offer. It may not be much, but he has to know he’ll always own my heart until the day I die.

Moments pass, the song switches to a fast upbeat one, and we stay glued to each other in the middle of the dance floor with bodies bumping into us.

“I need you now,” Maverik mumbles into my lips.

“You have me, Maverik, always.”

He hoists me up around his waist. I do my best to lock my legs around his back, and he’s off the dance floor in an instant. I feel us running into several other people, but Maverik never slows down as he blows past the crowd. When we enter a dark, small room, I frantically begin tugging at his shirt and ripping off any piece of clothing I can find.

“Slow down, Pinks.”

Maverik sits me down on the top of a table and steps back from me. After steadying myself long enough, I realize there’s just enough light in the small room to make out his features. I watch as Maverik takes off his black cowboy hat and sets it on top of a box and then takes his shirt off the rest of the way. I mimic his actions by sliding my tank off and then slide off the table and push down my skirt.

Sinking to my knees, I help him unbutton his pants and pull them down.
Over When It’s Over
by Eric Church floods the room and sets the mood. I sink my mouth down onto Maverik and begin moving up and down, swirling my tongue over the head of his cock. I only repeat this action a time or two before he pulls me to my feet and lifts me up again. My back is pressed against the wall. Maverik presses his chest into mine and grunts as he enters me hard and rough.

“We’ll never be over, Ella. I’ll die fighting for you this time.” He pushes in and out of me with force. Tightening my legs around his waist and pulling him in closer to me, I begin to moan as I nearly let go until Maverik stops.

“What’s wrong?” I look down, pulling his head from the crook of my neck.

“I never want to lose this feeling.” He slowly thrusts into me, letting me feel every glorious inch of his cock inside of me. “I want this every single day for the rest of my life.”

My hips slowly begin to push back into him, and this time I relish the sweet sensation of him. My inner core screams for more, wanting him fast and hard, and the inevitable climax, but something about him slowing down heightens each of my senses. I dig my fingernails into his flesh as I find a steady rhythm with him.

His low, sexy grunts are a sign he’s about to let go, and the one sound that can take me from zero to sixty with him.

“Let’s fall together,” I whisper into the top of his shoulder.

He pierces my ass with his grip as he speeds up a bit, growls louder, and then we fall together, stumbling over each other in passion and I can’t help the screams of affection mingled with pure love.

Maverik’s sweaty body goes limp, pressing me further back into the wall.

“Thank God there’s loud music.”

I can feel his smile on my bare shoulder.

“I can’t help what you do to me, Maverik.”

Slowly, he raises his head, grips my face, and stares right into my eyes. “Let me do this to you for the rest of our lives, Pinks.”

A startling banging on the door saves me from answering his question.

“Shit, someone locked the supply closet again.”

The brass knob clatters a few more times before it freezes again. And as if brought back to our high school days, we both scatter to snag our clothes and toss them on. Maverik is the first to the door and peers out both ways to make sure the hall is clear.

I know beyond a doubt he doesn’t give two fucks about getting caught, as he never did in high school and loved having sex everywhere, but he knows I hate being caught.

“You first, my sweet lady.” Mav sends me a wink and holds out his arm to guide me from the room.

“Thank you,” I whisper quickly before darting for the ladies’ room.

Once shut in the safety of a stall, I kick down the toilet lid with my heel and plop down with nothing but a huge ass smile covering my face. Just to feel Maverik on me and in me is something I never thought I’d get to experience again in my life. I try my best to brand it all to memory.

“Oh, my God. Did you guys see who is here?”

A group of very high pitched and annoying voices invade the bathroom.

In unison several of them squeal. “The Slatter boys.”

“I call Maverik. We all know Merek is taken these days.”

“You can have him. I had him last month. Marvel is next on my menu.”

My stomach lurches at the way these women talk about the Slatters. Fuck that, it’s not just the Slatters. That’s my family, and my fucking man. I quickly clean up as the bimbo squad continues to make a game plan.

“Excuse me, ladies.” I throw open the door to my stall and make my way to the counter and take time to examine my ass in the mirror before speaking again. My entrance shuts up the group immediately and I give the sluts a second to drink me in. I recognize one face from high school, but I’m not sure if she recognizes me.

“Maverik’s mine.” I plant my hand on the counter before reaching for a paper towel and square right up to the whole group. “So back the fuck off.”

I push my way past them, toss my paper towel in the trash, and hear the murmurs.

“That’s Ella.”

Before I push open the swinging door, I turn back to them. “Damn rights it’s Ella.”

A victorious smile attacks my face as I find my way to our table. It feels just like the old times when I’d throw down after a rodeo when a dumbass girl would try to rub up on Maverik. I know what I just did was selfish, but it felt so damn good.

“And where did you two run off to?” Merek holds up a shot of whisky with Challis perched on his lap.

“We had to talk to a guy about a horse.” I wink at Merek.

“Oh, hell no.” Marvel stands, grabbing his shot. “I sat in the cab of Mav’s truck for hours waiting on you two to talk to a guy about a horse when I was young.”

Maverik and I erupt in laughter. I snuggle in to his side and remember all the times we’d be stuck babysitting Marvel and make him wait in the truck while we snuck off.

I feel Mav stiffen and look up to see the group of whores making their way to the bar.

“Hey.” I reach up on my tiptoes and whisper in his ear, “I’m guessing you had the brunette last month. Had a great time with her and never returned her call.”

I bite my lower lip to keep my giggles in. The look on his face is priceless, and I’m not sure if he’s stunned or about to pass out.

“Good choice, cowboy.” I slap him in the ass and snag the two shot glasses on the tray and pass one to him. I make sure he has it in his grips before letting go.

Raising mine up in the air, I lead the toast. “To the only family I’ve ever known. The Slatters. To my best friend and only love.”

T
he lingering dust
in the air, smell of leather, cowboys chattering, all take me back to the days when Maverik was rodeoing. I never missed one of them. It’s what would get me through the school week, knowing Friday and Saturday I’d be on his tailgate watching him get ready.

Tonight is different watching Mav sit on his tailgate relaxed, drinking beer, and taping Merek’s hand. I hardly recognize him. He was always the one the crowds came to watch and the one who taught Merek everything. It pierces my heart to know he’ll never ride again. Riding and rodeo was Maverik. It defined every single part of him.

My mom called and told me about the accident, but it’s something I couldn’t stomach at the time. When my heart was ready, I searched for it online and the findings made me sick. A horse flipped in the chute on top of Maverik, life flight was brought in, and it was predicted he’d never walk again. However, Maverik beat all odds and only came out with a shattered shoulder.

It all went down about three years after I left him, and honestly the moment I nearly came home. For nights on end I could hear him being crushed in my dreams and his cries for help. I was just out of reach, so close, but never close enough to save him. I’d give anything to erase that day from his life. It should be him riding tonight with his little brother.

I study the two of them and I have to credit Merek. With every step of him gearing up to ride he has Maverik as his left hand. I know it’s something for the two of them and I’m happy he has Merek to live through.

“What are you smiling at?” I glance up from Merek’s hand being taped by Maverik to Mav staring at me.

“Just remembering the good ol’ days. You know?”

He rips off the last piece of tape, tosses it to the bed of his truck, and snags me by the belt loop.

“Damn, I’m so happy you wore these tonight.”

I slap his chest and then fix the top button of his shirt. “You’re lucky I’m the same jean size as Challis.”

“It is going to make it harder to sneak off and shag in a trailer.”

“Maverik, we’re not shagging in a random horse trailer tonight.”

“Why, Pinks?” He stretches up, trying to kiss the worry from my lips. “You used to do it in those high heels of yours.”

“Because we are old people.”

“So.” He cocks an eyebrow in my direction. “We can be old horny people.”

I toss my head back in laughter at the thought of us being busted and feel Maverik’s teeth sink into my sensitive skin.

“Nice try,” I say between giggles.

Soon his hands grab my ass and give my cheeks a rugged tug. I drop my face to his and want to make everything right in our worlds but know I can’t.