Lace & Lassos (13 page)

And then he was swinging her down next to a tall, old oak. She saw that he was holding a coil of rope and he dropped it at her feet. She tried to make a run for it and squealed with laughter as he caught her. She struggled but he managed to get her blouse and her bra off without her being able to escape.

He pushed her up against the tree, pinning her there with one palm against her belly as he grasped the rope at his feet with his other hand. Her eyes widened. He was going to tie her up, something he’d never done before.

She tried again to break free but he caught her and then bound her to a tree as fast as a cowboy could lasso and hogtie a calf. Her arms were pinned to her sides and she was tied from her waist to her shoulders with her breasts jutting out from between the coils.

“This is crazy.” She looked at him feeling a twinge of fear and excitement. She completely trusted him but there was something about being bound and at someone’s mercy that felt thrilling. “Let me go,” she said despite the fact she didn’t really know if she wanted him to release her. She was getting more and more turned on by the moment.

He tugged off her boots and socks and tossed them beside the blouse and bra he had ditched. He unbuckled her belt and then unbuttoned her jeans and pushed them down, along with her red panties, and then her bare ass was against the rough bark of the tree. Her breathing came harder and faster as he threw her jeans and panties aside too.

She was completely naked now, bound to the tree from her waist up.

“Now that the prisoner has been restrained,” he said in a low growl, “she must be interrogated.”

“Interrogate how?” she asked as she tested the bonds.

“I have my methods.” He unbuckled his jeans and pushed them down to his hips.

His cock looked huge and hard as he moved closer to her. “I have one instrument in particular that I use.”

He grasped her legs and hooked them around his hips and pressed his cock against her belly.

“I’ll tell you no secrets,” she said. “You’ll just have torture me.”

He lowered his head and sucked one of her nipples. She moaned then cried out when he lightly bit it again then moved his mouth to her other nipple.

“Are you certain, my little prisoner?” he said as he took his cock in his hand.

“Absolutely,” she managed to get out.

He pressed his erection against her core and she held her breath as his gaze locked with hers. He thrust his cock inside her and she cried out at the amazing feel of him inside her, heightened by his control over her.

He fucked her hard and fast. His expression was intense and there was sweat on his brow.

She didn’t think she’d ever had an orgasm sweep toward her so fast. It seemed to come out of nowhere yet she knew it was a buildup of everything that he’d done to her since he pinned her to the ground beside the stream.

She came hard and would have cried long and loud if he hadn’t captured her cry in his mouth.

He continued taking her for several more strokes and then he threw back his head and shouted as his own orgasm hit him.

His cock throbbed inside of her as she pulsed around him. He rocked in and out of her a few more times causing her to gasp from the way her orgasm seemed to carry on.

And then he was kissing her, his cock still inside of her. He raised his head and his blue eyes met hers.

“You might have to interrogate me again,” she said with a naughty grin.

“I intend to,” he murmured and kissed her.

Chapter 13

“I have reviewed the documents and there is no physical evidence that George H. Barrett was the sole owner of the property in question.” Judge Grayson met Kaitlyn’s gaze and folded his hands in front of him. “I have no choice but to rule in favor of Mr. Harold J. Barrett who holds the power of attorney for Mr. John J. Barrett who is the sole survivor now that George Barrett has passed on.”

Kaitlyn’s heart dropped to her stomach and cold washed over her skin as the judge spoke. Harold looked at her with a satisfied gleam in his eyes.

Judge Grayson moved his gaze to Harold. “The personal effects in the home, however, belong to Ms. Kaitlyn A. Barrett.”

Harold’s triumphant expression turned to one of shock and anger. “But, your honor, Kaitlyn isn’t even a blood relative.”

The judge calmly looked at Harold. “There is no question that Ms. Barrett is George Barrett’s daughter. I have made my ruling and you will abide by it.”

Kaitlyn felt no triumph in winning the possessions. She was too numb from the judge’s ruling that her home was no longer hers.

She was officially homeless.

Judge Grayson continued, “Ms. Barrett has five days to remove her possessions from the property before it will be turned over to you, Mr. Barrett.”

Kaitlyn felt Wayne’s presence in the seats behind her but she didn’t look over her shoulder at him. Instead she looked at her hands and fought back tears.

The judge pounded his gavel on its block and the sound seemed to echo in Kaitlyn’s ears.

Mr. Drake put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Ms. Barrett, that this didn’t go the way we had hoped.”

Kaitlyn nodded.

“But if you do come across anything that will convince the court otherwise, call me at once,” he continued.

She met his gaze, still attempting to hold back tears. “Thank you, Mr. Drake.” He walked with Kaitlyn outside of the courtroom.

Wayne fell into step beside her and took her hand. She knew he would be there with her, every step of the way.

•  •  •

Kaitlyn sat on the final large box that she’d just packed. “I don’t know how I’m going to repay you all.”

“What do you think friends and family are for?” Wayne took her by her upper arms and made her look into his eyes. “I know this is hard on you. I understand. But you need to stop fighting and stop feeling like you have to repay anyone. If it was one of us you’d be right in there helping.”

Even though she didn’t want to admit it, she knew he was right because she would be helping in any way that she could if any one of them needed her. She stood and faced him. “I don’t want you to think that I’m ungrateful. I appreciate this more than any of you can know.”

He slipped his hand into her hair and pulled her toward him and kissed her forehead.

The sound of trucks rattling over the cattle guard and coming down the road met her ears. Wayne glanced out the window. “Calvary is here.”

“All right.” She looked around her at all of the boxes.

Packing countless years worth of belongings from her grandparents and her father, and then her own things, had taken even more time than she realized it would. She’d already put the jewelry box and the more fragile items into her SUV along with her clothing and other personal things she would need to keep out of storage. Wayne had brought over a small trailer for the stuff she would need before anything else. The storage unit would hold everything else until she had someplace to put it all.

“Come on, honey.” Wayne picked up a box and smiled at her. “You know I can use the company at my place.”

She didn’t say anything and picked up a box, too. All of Wayne’s brothers and his sister had arrived and she was surprised to see that they’d brought along a few ranch hands, too.

“We’ll be loaded up in no time,” Wayne said as they started carrying boxes down the porch steps.

Danica and the brothers greeted Kaitlyn with hugs and then they went straight to work.

Everyone talked and laughed as they loaded up Kaitlyn’s furniture and belongings and her heart hurt with each item that was packed into the trailers. She liked that no one dwelled on the fact that this whole affair meant she had lost her home and no one brought up Harold. They kept it positive and upbeat and she was grateful for that. She didn’t join in the conversation, just made sure she thanked each person individually as they worked and told him or her how much she appreciated them.

Danica had packed a huge cooler of sandwiches, sodas, chips, and cookies. Around noon everyone relaxed on the front porch and enjoyed what had been prepared.

After lunch it didn’t take much longer to finish loading everything up. When the last box was loaded into the trailer, Kaitlyn’s stomach churned and she locked up the front door. She’d have to return at five to hand the keys over to Harold.

She hurried down the porch stairs to her SUV. She climbed in, started it, and followed Wayne’s truck and the trailer along the driveway that had once belonged to her family.

Chapter 14

“I need to find a job.” Kaitlyn faced off with Wayne in his living room. “I’ve been here two weeks now. The sooner I start making an income, the sooner I can move out on my own.”

“Don’t you understand?” He stepped to her and caught her by her shoulders. “I want to take care of you.”

“I’m a big girl, Wayne.” She sighed. “You don’t need to take care of me.”

She tried to take a step back but he gripped her shoulders tighter. “You’re making me crazy.”

“I need an income and I need something to keep me busy.” She put her hands on his chest. “I’m not going to sit around and do nothing. I don’t have enough to buy a house and to live off of. I’m going to need a job if I’m going to do both.”

He placed his forehead to hers and brought her close to him. “I have you back in my life,” he said quietly. “I’m not letting you go again.”

“You don’t have a choice.” She spoke gently. “This is my life.”

“I’m a part of your life now.” He raised his head. “You need to realize that.”

She closed her eyes for a moment.

Wayne brought her into his arms and held her. “I love you, Kait.”

She opened her eyes and they widened.

“Why do you look surprised?” He gave her a gentle smile. “Don’t you remember that night at Zane and Jessie’s wedding reception? I told you that I never stopped loving you, and I meant it. My love for you is stronger than ever.” He touched the tip of her nose with his finger. “I named the Diamond K after you.”

Kaitlyn buried her face against Wayne’s chest. Breathed in the smell of his clean shirt and his masculine scent. She didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know what to think.

She raised her head and looked at him. “Everything’s all jumbled inside of me.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” He seemed to read her mind. His smile told her that he didn’t expect her to tell him that she loved him.

“I have to sort things out.” She rested her cheek against his chest and he held her close. “I need to get my head on straight.”

He gave a low laugh. “I like your pretty head just the way it is.”

She couldn’t help a smile. “It’s what’s going on in this head that needs some work.”

“We’ll work on it together,” he said in a teasing voice.

“You’re hopeless,” she said.

“No, I’m hopeful.” He rubbed her back with his palm. “Everything’s going to work out, Kait. Trust me.”

She drew back and he kissed her. He made her feel like sunshine was breaking through the clouds.

“I’ve got to saddle up Lily and get to work.” He tugged on her ponytail. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

She bit her lower lip then smiled. “All right. One more day.”

He grinned and kissed her again. His enthusiasm was contagious and her heart felt lighter being around him.

What she needed was to get out of the house to clear her head. “I’d like to go for a ride on Jack.”

She grabbed her western hat as he nodded. “I’ll help you saddle up.”

After they left the house they headed to the barn that smelled of sweet oats, horses, and alfalfa hay. They brought the horses from their stalls to the tack room. It had been a while since she’d been around horses, so he helped her saddle Jack. The first time she’d been on a horse in eight years had been the day they went shooting. She smiled to herself as she thought of their picnic and “interrogation.”

When he finished assisting her, Kaitlyn sat astride the horse and studied the hard, sexy lines of Wayne’s body as he worked with Lily. She had to smile at the thought. A tough cowboy with a horse named Lily.

“Where are you headed?” he asked after he had mounted his horse.

“Nowhere in particular.” She shrugged. “But I don’t plan to go too far.”

“Do you have your cell phone?”

She drew it out of the pocket of her jeans and showed it to him before stuffing it in again.

“Have fun,” he said before turning his horse and heading for the corrals.

Kaitlyn clicked her tongue and Jack started forward and down the driveway to the gate. She dismounted long enough to take him through a side gate beside the cattle guard then she had him start out at a walk along the dirt road leading away from the Diamond K.

She turned over everything in her mind. With her business degree and her experience, she could probably find a good job in Sierra Vista. It wouldn’t be the same as owning the ranch and following her dream of bringing it back to where it had once been, but it would be something.

She enjoyed the easy gate of the horse and the view. The grasslands extended for miles over rolling hills with dark pockets of native oaks and cottonwood trees. In the distance was a herd of Hereford cattle on Cameron lands.

Part of the San Rafael Valley was protected, the land purchased as a Natural Area by Arizona State Parks to preserve native plant and animal life.

Before she knew it she was almost to the gate of the Rocking B. She hadn’t even realized that she was riding toward it rather than going the opposite direction. The ranch seemed to call to her and she felt a wave of sadness. Harold’s truck was parked in front of the ranch house and it caused her stomach to twist.

She shook her head. Unless a miracle happened, she was going to have to get used to the fact that the ranch didn’t belong to her any longer.

The rumble of a vehicle’s tires traveling along the rough dirt road met her ears. She looked over her shoulder to see a silver car headed in her direction. She guided her horse closer to the shoulder to make sure they were as much out of the way as they could be.

The car slowed as it passed her and then came to a stop and parked just outside the ranch’s gate. Dust floated on the breeze, leftover from the car’s wake.