Wild Ride: BBW Western Romance (Under Open Skies Saga Book 2) (9 page)

It began in little waves, a tremor in her left toe, the feeling of a sneeze coming on in the back of her throat. Except it was
n’
t a sneeze. Her orgasm exploded all at once, filling her fully and completely. She bucked hard against his mouth but he held on tight, pumping and moving inside of her with a vehemence that was hard to ignore. It deepened the waves of pleasure she felt, her inner walls undulated against his thick fingers.

He left her there, panting as he crawled up her, hovering over her. Empty. She felt empty. Kat needed him to fill her.

“
You taste amazing
.”
Hunter kissed her softly. She could taste herself on him. God was it good. She was needy in her kisses for him, drinking in as much of him, them really, as she could.

She reached down and touched him. He was already sheathed with a condom. His preparation had escaped her watchful eye, but she was glad of it.

“
Fill me, please
,”
She mewled
,“
I need you
.”
More than I care to admit.

“
Whatever you want, Princess
.”
He was there in a moment, filling her, his thick cock expanding the walls of her tight cavern.

Arching her back, Kat gripped his shoulders and went along for the ride. She was used to being the one in charge, the one on top, but with Hunter it was different. She was so far from being in control, no matter how hard she fought for it. She had to surrender. To let go and just feel him, it was everything she thought it would be.

“
More
.”
Each one of his thrusts was met with her own hips, grinding up to reach him. She needed him to increase his pace. To fill her over and over again.

It was
n’
t long until she felt the second wave of tremors move down her body. She was going to cum. Again. Her nails dug deep into his skin this time, as he growled out in pleasure mixed with pain.

Her world slowed and sharpened as the deep electricity of her orgasm came upon her. A wave of euphoric energy surrounded her as it burst out in small spasms. It rocked her in a way that was deeper than she had ever experienced. She felt his hands on her, his body inside of her. Everything all at once.

He did
n’
t stop to let her just experience it, he continued on, moving hard against her, intensifying her pleasure until her consciousness floated away. Somewhere in her vague awareness of afterglow he came while inside her, his body tensing with a final thrust. She was drifting somewhere between euphoria and reality. He pulled out of her quickly and discarded his condom before turning back to her and pulling her close.

“
Why ca
n’
t I say no to you
?”
He mused as he leaned down and breathed her in.

“
Do you want to
?”
She found herself back in the real world, his arms anchoring her down.

“
Not in my wildest dreams
.
”

Kat shook herself out of bed, but it was
n’
t her own. She remembered as she looked up at the ceiling tiles, she was in Hunte
r’
s home. She must have dozed off after the little nap. She turned over and reached for him but his side of the bed was empty, the warmth drained out of it. She wanted to touch his skin, feel him holding her tight. Reluctantly she rose from the bed and pulled on her panties and tank top. Padding into the living room, she smiled lazily when she saw him over the stove. Savory smells wafted up into the air, meeting her nose and causing her mouth to water. She walked up behind him, enjoying the sight of a man fixing her dinner in nothing but a loose fitting pair of boxers.

“
Enjoy your nap
?”
He asked, not even turning to look at her as he plated the entrees
.“
Sit down, Kat. We have a lot to talk about
.
”

“
About what
?
”

“
Fixing your company and catching the bastard who is cheating you
.
”

Kat took a deep breath and relaxed. It was just a dinner among colleagues. She looked in the mirror of the ladies restroom and fluffed her hair, then checked her makeup. She feathered out the light gray shadow that made her eyes pop into a stunning but icy blue. Not too much, but just enough to give an air of sophistication. Perfect.

I wonder what Daddy would think.

She pushed the thought away and prepared herself for the task at hand. A few men from her fathe
r’
s training centers had agreed to meet with her over dinner in order to discuss the needs of their respective facilities. One of the strategies Kat had come up with as a way to take back the reins of the company. She needed to know exactly who she was working with so that she could understand who would want to steal from her.

From her father.

Anyone who had a problem with her father was going to go on the suspect list, but she would
n’
t know that unless she knew these people.

Hank had endorsed it, but his youngest daughter had a piano recital, so he would
n’
t be attending. Neither would Hunter, who helped her flesh out the details from where to ea
t—
an authentic steakhouse with moderate pricin
g—
to how to direct the conversation. But as for the rest of it, she was on her own. She nodded at herself, a habit she got from watching her father look into the mirror just before he left for work, and pushed her way through the restroom door.

The handsome, only slightly graying men were already seated at her table, wearing what passed as fancied up casual attire. Good jeans, dark button down shirts, and hats hanging on their chairs. At least good looking muscled men was a perk of the job.

“
Sorry to keep you waiting
,”
She smiled as Wyatt rose and helped her into her seat
,“
Have you ordered yet
?
”

“
No, M
a’
am. Waiti
n’
on the lady
,”
A thick shouldered man with a hard jaw thin lipped a smile in her direction.

Damn do they make them any other way but handsome?

“
It is nice to be surrounded by gentlemen, thank you. And you are
?
”

“
Samuel Bohannon, M
a’
am. Head of the Bronco Facility. Samuel. Not Sam
.
”

“
Jim Creeger, Equestrian Center
.”
He was noticeably different in appearance from Samuel or Wyatt, his hair cut in a fashionable metropolitan style and his demeanor a bit more polished. Not a favorite.

“
Well, tonight is on me, order what you wish. I want to discuss business
.
”

Once their orders were taken care of and alcohol was served she set out to try and win the crowd. Thank God for booze.

“
Our facilities are high quality, as I have been told over and over again, but during my absence while grieving, a few glaring issues have come to light. Primarily a lack of communication between the partners and the people who run our day to day operation
,”
She tried not to look over at Wyatt. He was familiar, after all, and not hard on the eyes, but he only encouraged her forward, so she took a deep breath and continued
,“
I know that you submit requests and reports. And that they have been ignored as of late. So I wanted to bring you here today to discuss with you first hand the things you would like to see changed, now that I am taking control
.
”

“
M
a’
am, with all due respect, what do you actually know about the facility
?”
Samuel delivered the blow with a gentle tone. He was clearly not trying to be insulting.

“
Ms. Brooks has been to the facilities a number of times, most recently up to see the Bull Ridi
n’
operation, Samuel. And from what I hear she has been pouring over the books. She might have a learning curve, but she cares
.”
Wyatt was quick to her rescue. Sexy and well spoken.

She took a sip of her Cabernet and addressed Samuel directly.

“
Thank you, Mr. Snow, but Samuel has a valid question. I do
n’
t know much, not compared to my father, who was more than capable and knowledgeable of the business. It is part of why I am here tonight, talking to you. I figured you were the best experts about your training facilities and that you had the most insight into the daily operations. So I come asking for your help
.
”

An awkward silence passed between the four of them. The waitress saved them all from it with the arrival of their food. Everyone, herself included, ordered a hearty steak, hers being medium rare. She knew there would be little talking while everyone ate. It was the cowboy way after all, so she dug into her food and let her thoughts overtake her.

“
How are you taking to cowgirl life, Kat
?”
Wyatt asked as he took a swig of his rich lager beer, that sparkle was back in his eyes, his straightforwardness drew her attention. She liked that in a man, especially when it was
n’
t met with malice.

“
Only been a few days, but I think
I’
m handling it well. Glad to be back in the swing of things. What about you, how long have you been in the business
?”
She did
n’
t have to feign interest, she really wanted to know about these men. They had all risen to positions of management, and from what she could tell they were good at what they did. Wyatt particularly. He was intriguing, and the way he looked at her, it made her want to get to know him.

Hunte
r’
s angry stare flashed into her mind, remembering exactly what happened the last time she seemed a bit too interested in Wyatt.

“
Twenty two years, started up early, at 15
.”
He dug back into his food, then rose again
,“
Been a wild ride, tha
t’
s for sure
.
”

“
So what exactly do you want to know, Ms. Brooks
,”
Jim asked this time, in between sips of his own wine.

“
Kat, please
.
”

“
Okay, Kat
.
”

“
Do your facilities need additional staff, are there areas of disrepair, suggestions regarding the way you think it should move forward
?”
she asked, taking another sip of her wine.

She still had the list from the bull riders, which she checked. A lot of those places had invoices from construction companies, so she had proof that renovation should have been done, but clearly it was
n’
t. It seemed like whoever was cutting salaries, and benefits was also finding ways to hide money. It was spent, but no updates done. And all of this had her name, her signature on it.

She needed more information, and these men were just the right kind to give it.

“
Well, the equestrian center has been well funded, and has many independent patrons who pay for training as well as boarding, so I believe the financial status is much more stable
,”
That earned a glare from Samuel and Wyatt alike
.“
However, I realize we have one vet for the entire facility. My suggestion would be to either assign a vet per facility or perhaps hire another vet as part of a team to split up the workload. Often times we have to outsource our needs which is more costly in the long run
.
”

“
I think I can manage a second vet, thank you for your input
.
”

“
I dunno wha
t’
s goi
n’
on anywhere else, but my staff has
n’
t gotten a raise and costs have increased. Ai
n’
t right. Plus we need a quality inspection, and some of the recommended upgrades
.”
Samue
l’
s tone turned surly as he regarded her
,“
W
e’
ve been ignored for a while now, Kat
.
”

“
I think that is more than reasonable, and something I can certainly see to, and it seems to be a similar issue from what I saw at the other practice pens
.
”

“
We need you to be more of a presence, it is a good start, but you got a long way to go
,”
Wyat
t’
s voice was firm as he looked at her, but not without kindness
.“
I do
n’
t know about the bronco riding center, but we need more horses. Work horses. For the ranch and for the chores that require regular upkeep around the bull facility. I know a guy, Clayton Donnell, over in Pennsylvania who has some of the best horses in the area. I could get him to cut us a deal too.

“
Is it something we absolutely need
?
”

“
Yes
.
”

“
Then I would love to be able to meet your contact, Wyatt
.
”

“
Yes, m
a’
am
.”
He gave her an appreciative look, which gave her the confidence she needed, but that was
n’
t all.

The way he looked at her, it was like he was looking through her instead of at her. Warmth flooded her body, causing her to blush. He should
n’
t of been able to elicit such a reaction.

“
Well m
a’
am, thank you for the dinner. If that is all, I got a family to get home to
,”
Samuel rose and put on his wide-brimmed black hat, tipping it at her then turning and walking away
.“
Ai
n’
t got time to sit around here all night talking about this and that
.
”

“I’
m afraid I need to be going as well
,”
Jim rose just after him and extended a hand to her
.“I’
m sure working with you will be a pleasure
.
”

“
I think that went pretty well, do
n’
t you
?”
She asked, relaxing a little bit as she smiled at Wyatt.

“
Do
n’
t mind Samuel, h
e’
s always been a son of a bitch. Your dad thought it was part of his charm
.”
His hair fell to his shoulders as he pulled the tie out of it. It pulled the air right out of her lungs.

She recovered quickly
,“
And what about Jim
?
”

“
Equestrian riders and even the barrel racers tend to need a bit more refined spokesman. Jim fits that bill. But he is local, and he came by his talents naturally, not through pedigree
.”
She nodded as she processed this, any little bit about them helping her to create a strategy. She was
n’
t going to quit until she knew the business inside out. And she knew who was laundering the funds.

“
How do you know all this
?”
She bit her lip, trying to hold back the arousal that was building at the mere sound of his voice.