* * * * *
The thieves left Catie alone as they loaded up the trailer. She was sitting on the ground, her back against the truck tire, her hands bound in her lap. While they were busy stealing cattle, Catie managed to work the pocketknife up and out of her pocket.
During the slow process, she had plenty of time to think about everything. She knew now that Jarrod had only been doing his job. Obviously the bastards had framed her brother, and if Jarrod hadn’t taken Steve in, then it would have looked like he was playing favors.
Catie finally opened the damn pocketknife when Reggie Parker walked up. She barely had time to hide the knife in her cupped palms, and she only hoped he hadn’t seen the metal glinting in the moonlight.
“Touch me and die,
bastard
,” Catie told Reggie, her face twisted in a murderous scowl.
“Wild little thing, aren’t you?” Parker laughed and ambled closer, that arrogant look on his face. It galled Catie to remember that she’d thought he was handsome in high school. “We’ve got a bit of lost time to make up for, hon.”
She narrowed her eyes. All right. Her legs hadn’t been bound, so she could kick the shit out of him. Just let him come closer and she’d make him wish he hadn’t shown up tonight.
“Load the bitch up and let’s get the hell out of here.” Ryan Forrester guided his horse closer to where Reggie was eyeing Catie. “You can have your fun when we get this shipment to El Paso.”
“You’re a sneaky bastard, aren’t you?” Catie glared at Ryan. “Framing my brother, making sure the Sheriff’s Department was always following some false lead you’d planted while you’ve been laughing your ass off.”
Reggie chuckled and cut in, “I kinda liked how we made it look like it was that fucker Wilds who was trying to swipe the MacLeod bull. Used an appaloosa just like the one you own.” His smile turned to a frown. “Damn that Lawless. Kept us from nabbing that pricey bull.”
Catie narrowed her eyes at Ryan. “Planting that twenty grand in Steve’s account to really make things look bad for him was just swell of you.”
Ryan shrugged. “Business is business, sugar. I’ve got bills and working for the county doesn’t pay for shit.”
“Ah, this ain’t nuthin’.” Reggie Parker slicked his hair back with one hand while his gaze raked over Catie. “This’s just been a cover for the real money.”
“Shut up, asshole.” Forrester scowled at Reggie. “Let’s get the hell out of here.” The deputy turned his horse toward the other two men who were standing at the back of the truck, men that Catie hadn’t recognized.
Reggie walked up to her and grinned. “This is gonna be fun.” He leaned over to grab Catie by her upper arms and she could smell the stench of cigarettes and alcohol on his breath.
As he started to touch her, Catie drew her knee up and shot out her foot. At the same time she screamed with the force of her fury, and slammed her foot into the man’s kneecap with all the power she possessed. “Bastard,” she shouted. “That’s for Steve.”
A sickening pop traveled from the sole of her shoe and up her leg as his knee buckled. Reggie shrieked and dropped the ground, landing flat on his ass. At the same moment she clenched the handle of the pocketknife with both bound hands and launched her body at him, driving the knife through the thick leather of his boot as she came down, and drilling the blade into his foot. He screamed again.
“That was for me,” she shouted. “Teach you to mess with me or my brother, you son-of-a-bitch.” She’d landed on her belly, her hands still around the knife hilt, her face close to the foot she’d just impaled.
“Bitch!” Reggie’s face was contorted with pain, a sheen of sweat glossing is forehead, glittering strangely in the moonlight. “Forrester. The bitch stabbed me. And she fucked up my knee.”
Reggie yanked a gun out of his back pocket and pointed it at her, his hands trembling and sweat rolling down his face. “You’re gonna pay, you goddamn whore.”
Catie felt blood draining from her face as she stared down the barrel of the gun that shook from the force of his trembling—a mere foot from her face.
Oh, shit. I’m going to die.
Just as she expected to feel a bullet slam into her, a shot exploded in the night, so loud Catie’s ears rang. At the same moment the gun flew from Reggie’s hand.
And then it was chaos.
Jarrod whipped around the truck, his gun pointed right at Reggie. “Move a muscle and die.”
At the same moment Jake Reynolds shouted, “You’re under arrest,” and knocked one of the men to the ground.
Ryan Forrester wheeled his horse around and bolted into the darkness, and the fourth man took off running in the opposite direction.
“Fuck.” Jarrod kept his gun trained on Reggie as he grabbed the handcuffs from his belt. “Please. Just give me an excuse to wipe you off the face of this planet, you son-of-a-bitch.”
Fear, relief, fury, love—every emotion cycled through Catie like a tornado as she watched Jarrod and the scene unfolding before her.
Catie scrambled away from Reggie, leaving the knife in his boot. She saw that Jake had the other man cuffed and facedown in the dirt. “Looks like we’ve got help,” Jake said as he gestured toward Catwalk Trail.
Squinting, Catie peered into moonlit night and saw that the third man was being marched back towards them at gunpoint—and Jess Lawless was the man behind the gun.
“Nice of you join us, Lawless,” Jarrod said as he cuffed Reggie. “Don’t suppose you managed to get Forrester while you were at it?”
Jess offered a tight smile. “No, but I will.”
One-handed, Jarrod grabbed Reggie by the front of his shirt and hauled him up to stand. Reggie’s face was white and trembling, and he was obviously in pain from the damage Catie had inflicted.
“Consider yourself lucky that Catie got a hold of you before I did.” Jarrod brought Reggie’s face close to his. Jarrod’s eyes and expression were absolutely furious—Catie had never seen him so angry. “If you ever touch my woman again, I’ll kill you, you miserable bastard.”
Jarrod shoved Reggie away from him, and the man went sprawling flat on his back, shrieking out in obvious pain.
In one quick movement, Jarrod turned and scooped Catie up from the ground, holding her so tight she could hardly breathe. “Dammit, you little shit. Don’t you ever scare me like that again.”
He never gave her a chance to respond. He kissed her face, her hair, her nose and then her mouth. A hard, passionate, feral kiss that seared through Catie like wildfire.
When he finally raised his head he looked down at her with so much caring and love she couldn’t think straight. “I don’t give a shit what you think. You and I are getting married. And the sooner the better, ‘cause I damn sure need to keep an eye on you.”
Catie blinked as what he’d said sank in. A warm feeling spread through her, a feeling like nothing she’d never known before. She licked her lips, and then smiled. “All right.” At the look of satisfaction on his face, she added, “But only so I can keep an eye on you, too, Sheriff.”
After Jarrod had made sure Catie was safe, her bonds removed, and all the prisoners subdued, he took Jess and Jake aside.
“You’re not really a ranch foreman, are you, Lawless?” Jarrod said as he studied the man’s eyes.
Reynolds folded his arms and leaned back as though to watch the show. “I’ve had suspicions myself, since I met you.”
“You’re right.” Lawless’ mouth quirked into a slight grimace. He glanced to where Catie was sitting, like he wanted to make sure she couldn’t hear. “I’m deep undercover. Special Agent Jesse Lawless with the DEA. I’ll show you my badge later on.”
Jarrod pushed the brim of his hat up. “Tell us about it.”
“We’ve been after Forrester for sometime.” Lawless jerked his head in the direction the man had ridden off. “He got himself involved with the Mexican drug cartel trying to pay off heavy gambling debts. From the intelligence we’ve gathered, this whole rustling scheme was designed to keep the focus off what’s really going on. A big drug deal is going down around here, and soon. Real soon.”
Heated anger rushed through Jarrod. “Why the hell wasn’t I notified about any of this?”
“I’d like to know the answer, too.” Reynolds set his jaw. “Customs should have been in on this from the start.”
“I agree,” Jess replied. “But we couldn’t be sure that no one else in the Sheriff’s Department was involved, or in any of the law enforcement branches here for that matter. That’s part of my job—to sort out the good guys from the bad guys.”
Jess’ gaze cut to Catie who was walking toward them. “But this stays with the three of us. You’re not to tell
anyone
else.”
Jarrod nodded and left the men, striding toward Catie. Her blonde hair was mussed, dirt streaked across her face, her clothes were rumpled and dirty—she’d never looked more beautiful
When he reached her, he clamped his hands around her tiny waist and swooped her into his arms. She laughed and wrapped her legs around his waist, grabbed his cheeks and planted a kiss on his lips.
“Come on, Sheriff.” She cupped his face in her hands. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter Thirteen
I must be out of my mind
, Catie thought as Jarrod led her from his vehicle. She was blindfolded, her hands tied securely behind her back with a silk scarf. He held her close, his arm draped around her shoulders as he guided her forward.
Yeah. Out of my mind in love.
She could hardly believe that she was now Catie Savage. She’d thought about keeping her maiden name, like Dee had done, but Catie Wilds-Savage sounded like the name of a bad porn star. It had been a week since they’d captured the rustlers, and Jarrod insisted he couldn’t wait any longer. Hell, neither could she.
Jarrod and Catie had been married just an hour ago at the Bisbee City Hall by the Justice of the Peace. Dee and Jake had been in attendance, along with Jess Lawless, not to mention Steve, Natalie and her son David. Catie had an idea that Steve might be heading down the aisle real soon himself.
Being blindfolded heightened every one of her senses. A car passed in the distance and a small dog yapped somewhere nearby. Beneath her heels she felt asphalt then sidewalk as Jarrod helped her along. A gentle wind stirred the short hair against her neck, the chill air carrying the fragrance of fall and holidays just around the corner.
Catie’s skin tingled with absolute awareness of the man with her, his muscled arm holding her secure. The light scent of his aftershave enveloped her, along with his own unique masculine smell. Even blindfolded in a roomful of men, she’d know his elemental scent, the taste of his skin, the feel of his hard body against hers.
“I can’t believe I let you do this to me.” Catie lifted her head and tried to peek beneath the blindfold, but the black scarf was too well wrapped around her eyes. “Now that we’re here, why don’t you tell me where we are and what we’re doing?”
Jarrod laughed, his husky chuckle shooting a fireball straight through her belly to her pussy. “Be careful. In about two more steps we’re gonna head up a set of stairs.”
Her feet faltered and Jarrod murmured, “What the hell,” and then the next thing she knew his arms were around her waist and he was raising her up and throwing her over his shoulder.
“Jarrod!” she cried out and laughed all at once as blood rushed to her head and she felt his body move beneath her as he climbed the stairs. The necklace of linked gold hearts and diamonds slid up over her chin, probably making her look even more ridiculous. She wished her hands weren’t bound so that she could pound on him or something.
Her wedding dress was an ocean blue silky affair that only reached the top of her thighs. She’d loved how it looked on her, and by the way Jarrod had eyed her all morning, she knew he liked it, too.
“Let me down. Someone’s gonna see up my dress.” And they’d get one hell of a view, since as usual she wasn’t wearing any underwear.
His boots clomped up the wooden steps as he smoothed down her silky skirt, holding his arm tight under her ass. “Quiet down, woman.”
“You know you’re going to pay for this, don’t you?” She sank her teeth into his western dress shirt and the firm skin beneath it, giving him a playful bite.
“Hey.” Jarrod shrugged beneath her mouth and swatted her ass. “Watch it, wildcat.” He reached a landing, the hollow sound of wood beneath his boots as he started across it. “Or I’m gonna have to teach you a lesson.”
“Ha.” The squeak of a screen door met her ears, and a rush of warm air washed over her as he stepped onto a throw rug or flooring that must have been carpeted since his boot steps were now muffled. She caught a potpourri of smells—warm bread, cinnamon, and spices. “You can let me go now.”
He shifted her in his arms, his grip tighter than ever. “Pipe down.”
Before she had a chance to tell him off, a woman laughed and said, “Welcome to Nicole’s Bed-and-Breakfast, Sheriff Savage. And that must be your bride?”
“Good to see you again.” Jarrod swatted Catie’s butt a second time, and she gasped from the contact. “Catie, meet Nicole.”
Heat rushed through Catie from the tips of her toes to the ends of the hair that was hanging in her face. How embarrassing. Some strange woman could see her butt sticking up in the air, and she was blindfolded and trussed up like a roped calf at a rodeo.
“Hi,” Catie muttered. “Can you knock this guy over the head with a shovel or something? I’d appreciate it.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Humor infused Nicole’s pleasant voice. “Here’s your key, Sheriff. I reserved the best room we have to offer. Just head up those stairs, then down the hall and it’s the last door on the left.”
“Thank you kindly,” the big oaf replied and Catie’s head spun as he turned. His boots thumped against wood flooring again.
“You are
so
dead, Jarrod Savage,” Catie muttered as he climbed another set of stairs and she bounced against his back. “Right after I fuck you, I’m gonna kill you.”
He chuckled, the deep sound reverberation from his body and straight through her. “You’ll be too worn out once I get through with you, honey.”
Jarrod’s cock throbbed as he slid the key into the lock and opened the door to the room. The woman over his shoulder was going to get the biggest fucking of her life. After he shut and locked the door behind him, he strode across the hardwood floor to the curtained four-poster bed, and sat down on the mattress.
He carefully swung Catie from his shoulder and laid her face down across his lap, her belly across his thighs, her wrists still tied securely behind her back.
His wife. Catie was now his wife, and he couldn’t be a prouder man.
“Untie me and take off this blindfold.” Her voice was muffled. “I can’t wait to get my hands on you.”
“You’ll just have to wait a little longer, honey.” He adjusted her across his lap so that her ass was sticking practically straight up. “If you don’t behave, I’ll have to gag you, too.”
“Jarrod—” she started, but when he pushed her skirt up over her bare butt, the threat in her voice turned into a moan.
“Damn you have a beautiful ass.” He placed his palms on the smooth cheeks and squeezed. “After that stunt you pulled last week and almost getting yourself killed, I think you need to be punished real good.”
“You’re not going to spank me, are you?” Catie sounded both worried and aroused. Definitely aroused.
“I kept warning you that I’d have to if you didn’t behave.” Jarrod swatted her ass and Catie gasped. “And you were a bad girl, honey.”
“Jarrod.” Her voice was hoarse as she wiggled her butt and squirmed on his lap, her belly rubbing against his cock. “How bad was I?”
“Real bad.” Jarrod grinned rubbing his calloused fingers over the slightly reddened flesh. He swatted her again and her moan made him ache to fuck her now. Hard and fast.
Instead he slid his fingers down her crack and between her thighs to the shaved lips of her pussy, and she spread her legs a little, giving him better access. The scent of Catie’s juices mingled with her vanilla musk scent, and he had to taste her.
“Please…” She groaned as he dipped his fingers into her creamy heat.
“Damn but you’re wet.” Jarrod moved his fingers within her folds, then thrust them into her core. “But you still need to be punished before I can fuck you.”
“
Jarrod
.” She gasped and pushed her hips against his hand.
He drew his fingers out of her pussy and brought them to his mouth, tasting her juices before delving back into her wetness. When his fingers were slick again, he trailed them over her crack to her cheeks, smoothing her fluids over her. And then swatted the flat of his hand against her ass again.
Catie cried out, damn near climaxing when he spanked her. Her ass tingled, thighs trembled and abs tightened, her clit so stimulated that one touch would send her over.
The man was about to drive her out of her mind. She never realized how much of a turn-on being tied up, blindfolded, and spanked would be. It felt unbelievably erotic lying across Jarrod’s lap, her skirt up to her hips and her ass bared to him.
“Are you going to be a good girl now?” He rubbed his hand over the cheeks that still stung from that last swat.
“Bastard,” she muttered, and then gasped as he spanked her again.
“Do you need another reminder?” His voice thrummed with arousal, his cock hard through his slacks and pressing against her belly, and she knew he was as horny as she was. “Or are you going to apologize for misbehaving?”
“Why should I—” Her words died in her throat as he swatted her. Oh, God, she had to come. She was so damn close.
“Well?” Jarrod rubbed her ass cheeks then moved his hand down to cup her mound and just held it there.
The bastard.
He knew what he was doing to her.
Catie swallowed. “I—I’m sorry.”
He cupped his hand tighter around her pussy, but didn’t do anything more, didn’t do what she needed him to. “And?”
“I promise I’ll be good.” Catie squirmed on his lap. “Just make me come, Jarrod.
Please
.’
Jarrod slapped her ass again, the stinging sensation going straight to her pussy. Even as she cried out, he slipped a couple of fingers into her folds and thrust into her core, fucking her with his fingers. “Damn but you feel good. I’ve got to have you around my cock.”
“Yes.” Catie’s thoughts whirled, her body so close to the edge. Jarrod flicked her clit with his thumb, and all it took was one time to send her straight over the cliff.
She shrieked and clenched her thighs tight around his hand, her body jerking against his thighs. A dizzy sensation swirled through her, magnified by being upside down for so long.
Some part of her recognized that Jarrod was removing the scarf that bound her hands. Her pussy continued to throb from her orgasm as he massaged her wrists, and then she felt him tugging on the tie to the scarf around her eyes and freeing it before rolling her over and cradling her in his arms. Her heart necklace slid back down around her neck, feeling cool against her skin.
Catie blinked up at the incredibly handsome man that held her tight. “I owe you, big guy,” she murmured.
“Oh?” His slow sexy grin sent more tingles to her pussy. “Do I need to spank you again?”
She moved her hand up to his face and cupped his cheek, rubbing her palm against his stubble. “It’s my turn, Sheriff.”
“Uh, no.” He shook his head. “I can’t say that I’d let you spank me.”
Catie smiled. “That’s not what I had in mind. Now let me up.”
Jarrod slid her off his lap and helped her to stand on the bisque-colored throw rug beside the bed, her skirt settling back down over her ass. He moved behind her and rubbed her shoulders and arms, probably realizing that they ached from having her hands tied behind her back for so long. She sighed and leaned against him, enjoying the feel of his strong fingers working her muscles.
“This room is beautiful.” Her gaze moved from the antique dresser and chest of drawers to the four poster bed complete with curtains in a rich shade of cream. Long twisted silk ropes, complete with tassels, tied back the curtains. “Where did you find this place?”
“A friend recommended it.” The heat of his palms burned through her light blouse as he massaged her and she shivered as he moved his lips to her hair. “>From what I was told, Nicole moved to Bisbee from Douglas a year ago when she inherited this place from a relative. She turned it into a small bed-and-breakfast.”
Catie turned in Jarrod’s arms, slid her hands up his shirt and linked her fingers behind his neck. “I like it.” With an impish grin she moved one hand up to his Stetson and pushed it off his head so that it landed on the floor with a soft thunk. “But right now all I want to do is fuck you on that gorgeous bed.”
Jarrod’s eyes were dark and heavy-lidded with desire. “I certainly hate to keep a lady waiting.”
He started to bring his lips to hers, but Catie put her palm over his mouth. “You had your fun. Now it’s my turn.”
Jarrod raised an eyebrow, wondering what his little wildcat was up to. He wanted her so bad it was all he could do to hold himself from throwing her on that bed, yank his cock out of his slacks, push up her dress, and thrust into her wet pussy.
Her palm was soft against his lips, and he brought his hand to hers, holding it tight as he stroked his tongue against the soft skin.
Catie groaned, her eyelids fluttering. She placed her other hand against his chest and pushed. “Fair’s fair, Sheriff Savage.”
He smiled and released her, but clenched his jaw as she pulled open the snaps of his dress shirt then rubbed her palms up his bare chest, an intent expression on her face. She pushed the shirt away from his shoulders, eased it off his arms, and tossed it to the side.
The smile on her face was wickedly erotic as she leaned forward and licked his nipple. Jarrod sucked in his breath at the feel of her wet tongue flicking across the tight nub and the sprinkling of hair around it. Her hands continued to explore him, stroking his chest and abs, down to the waistband of his slacks and back up again. She moved her mouth to his other nipple, giving it the same treatment, drawing out his torture.
Jarrod leaned his head back and groaned as he brought his hands up to Catie’s slim hips and cupped her ass, pressing her tight to his erection.
“Not so fast, mister.” She trailed lazy strokes with her tongue down his chest, pushing her butt back against his hands.
He sucked in his breath as she nipped at the skin around his belly button, then flicked her tongue inside. The sensual feeling added fuel to his hunger for her, and he clenched his hands in the soft material of her skirt.
“Ah-ah-ah.” Catie’s hands moved to his belt buckle as she looked up, her chocolate eyes meeting his. “Get your paws off.”
“Don’t mess with me, woman,” he practically growled at her. He felt raw and wild, ready to fuck her like an untamed beast.
“Behave.” She undid his belt buckle and then unbuttoned his fly, her knuckles brushing his erection as she worked the zipper down. His cock jerked against her touch and a naughty smile curved her lips.