The Private Stable [Iron Spur Ranch 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (16 page)

It sounded more complicated than she expected. “I’d hate to make a mistake and hurt an animal. Maybe it’s not a good idea for me to try.”

“Nonsense. You have to learn sometime. We’ll practice first.”

He watched her, both elbows braced back on the fence rail, one leg bent up. He looked delicious, his worn jeans low, and his checkered shirt haphazardly tucked behind his thick leather belt. He was a working man, real, with the calloused hands and scars to prove it. The sun gave his skin a healthy glow and his hair a golden sheen.

“What do you want me to do?” she asked, feeling awkward under his scrutinizing gaze. Everything went away except the way he looked at her.

“Fetch me that Appaloosa.” He nodded to the black-and-white horse eating hay from the bale feeder.

“But there’re so many horses.” She continued to have a fear of walking amongst untethered horses. She preferred to deal with them one on one when they were in a stall or secured to a post.

“Darlin’, I wouldn’t have you do something where you’d get hurt. Now fetch me that mare.”

He continued to lounge against the rail, absorbing the warm afternoon sun. It was probably a much-appreciated break from work. She rarely saw him since the branding started.

Rachel cautiously left his side, walking through the horses to her target. Her heart pounded, but then she remembered Wyatt’s words of wisdom. She couldn’t show her fear. She had to believe she was in charge. It was easier said than done when the mare stubbornly jerked her head away when Rachel approached.
Great.
It began to walk away from her. She turned to look at Ethan, her eyes pleading. He only nodded for her continue, a smirk on his face.

Every time she approached the Appaloosa it would rush away, merging into the small herd. She finally gave up, crossing her arms like a reluctant child. A moment later, Ethan’s arms snaked around her middle. “Giving up so soon?”

“I can’t do it. She doesn’t want to be caught.”

He chuckled. “She’s a stubborn one. I knew you wouldn’t be able to wrangle her.”

“You set me up.” Rachel twisted in his arms until they were facing each other. “Why?”

“You’re cute. I like to watch you when you’re concentrating.”

She swatted him, feeling like she’d known him all her life. “You’re cruel, Ethan.” It was refreshing to be able to play with a man, to enjoy his company. “You know how scared I am of herds.”

“No need, sweetheart. You’ll always be safe with me.”

Rachel believed it. “Really…” She toyed with the buttons on his shirt, aware of the erection pressing into her stomach. It felt like forever since she’d been alone with Ethan. Her attraction to him continued to grow. She loved his protective side, his manners, and endless patience. And she couldn’t disregard his skills in the bedroom. She was well aware by now that all men were not created equal.

“I’d do anything for you.” He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, planting strategic kisses behind her ear. “I want you in our trailer again, Rachel. I want you close.”

She shook her head, careful not to push him away. “Wyatt doesn’t want me. He said so himself.”

“Never mind him.”

How could she disregard the fact that Wyatt continually walked away from her? He tormented her thoughts, and no matter how hard she tried to patch things up, he appeared completely disinterested. It made her crazy some nights, the longing making her heart ache. What was so unlovable about her?

“I can’t,” she said honestly. Unless Wyatt accepted her back personally, there was no way she’d show up on his doorstep. No matter how tempting.

Three weeks and counting…Rachel was stir-crazy. The branding was over, and it was back to the usual bustle of trading, selling, breeding, and training at the Iron Spur Ranch. She had brief moments each day with Ethan, long enough for a kiss or a few words. Whenever Wyatt caught them, he split them up and sent them on their way. He was like a strict father, not a man who once shared her body willingly.

“I have a job for you, Rachel.”

She whirled around, trapped in the tight confines of a wooden stall. She’d been cleaning a horse’s hooves when Damien appeared out of nowhere. Although she had the job, the man still terrified her.

“Yes, sir, what is it?”

“You’ve been here long enough that I should be able to trust you to work well on your own around the ranch. But there’s more to the business than just caring for the horses. I’m sending a few of my new recruits to help lead one of our eco tours. It’s basically a group of city folks getting an extended horseback ride through the trails.”

“You want me to lead them?” She had no clue what that entailed. Ethan had taught her how to handle a horse while riding, but she was still far from an expert.

“You and two other new handlers.” Isabella had mentioned hiring new staff, but Rachel had never met them. It didn’t feel right to take on such a responsibility without an experienced cowboy with them. But she was well aware that Damien Holt was expanding the tourism side of his business, and if she wanted a future at the Iron Spur, she needed to learn this aspect of it.

“Okay…When?”

“Tomorrow morning. Saddle up and meet your team at the oak grove by seven. I’ll send one of my men to oversee the operation.”

At least there would be someone experienced there. She hoped it was either Ethan or Wyatt but doubted it.

As mysteriously as he’d appeared, Damien was gone, leaving her alone in the barn. She supposed she should be happy. Expanding her knowledge base so she could work more areas of the ranch was a great idea. Rachel had no thoughts of leaving the Iron Spur. It was a part of her, a piece of her soul, as Wyatt warned would happen. The ranch had a bit of magic and a bit of darkness, but there was no leaving.

Rachel had tried her hardest to succeed in the city, but she had never seemed to get anywhere. She was either not qualified enough or judged on her appearance. It felt good to get a chance to move up the ladder and become more independent.

She returned to grooming the horse, lifting its front leg to continue cleaning its hoof with the pick. That’s when she heard his footsteps outside her stall again.

“Sorry, sir, I thought you were—”

It wasn’t Damien, but Wyatt. His dark hair fell into his eyes before he brushed it off his face with a hand. “Now that’s more like it,” he said. “I like it when you call me
sir
.”

“I thought you were Damien.”

His face hardened a degree. “Of course you did. You call him
sir
often?”

“He’s my boss, so yes.”

“Has he taken you to the private stable?”

Again with mention of the private stable. She’d been meaning to ask Isabella about it, but something always came up to change the subject. “No. Why do you care one way or the other?”

It wasn’t fair for him to turn hot and cold every few days. He went from not speaking to her at all to making idle conversation. She hated the constant state of limbo, not knowing if there was a connection between them or not.

“I don’t.”

She rolled her eyes, tired of his games. “Then don’t ask.” Rachel returned to her work. She wasn’t the same woman she’d been weeks ago. In the short period of time since leaving Jason, she’d regained a semblance of self-esteem and gotten to know the girl she was once upon a time. She’d learned to laugh, play, flirt, and trust. Life wasn’t so bad after all, but she knew it could be so much better with a solid commitment from the two men who held the key to her heart.

“Does Ethan know you’re friendly with your boss?”

She crossed her arms, not willing to be bullied by Wyatt. No matter how tempting he looked she wouldn’t fall victim. She glanced over only to see his checkered shirt rolled past his muscled forearms. It didn’t help that she knew his body was rock solid beneath his clothing. “I’m not friendly with my boss, so don’t put words in my mouth. You have no right to question anything I do because you’ve made it more than clear you’re not interested in me.”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t interested, just that I’m not good for you.”

She lost her steam. “That’s my choice to make, Wyatt.”

He squeezed into the single stall, entering her personal space. The air temperature around her increased tenfold. She wanted to pull away because she knew he’d only break her heart again and again, and she had to make better choices for her love life. But she also couldn’t refuse Wyatt’s advance. She craved the cowboy’s touch like nothing else. She was addicted, to the pleasure or the pain, she wasn’t certain.

“I don’t know how to treat womenfolk,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “Never learned. I’m thinking you need a man like Ethan, one who knows how to treat a lady.”

“But I’d have both of you, wouldn’t I?”

“I can’t be a good man, Rachel. I’ve been a drifter most of my life. You deserve a man with a good head on his shoulders, one with roots and stories to tell his children. I don’t even have a past, darlin’.”

This was the first time he’d opened up to her, offering her a rare glimpse into the man under the tough exterior. The fact that he was standoffish for reasons other than her was a relief.

“Then make one. You’re in control of how your life ends up, Wyatt. You can choose happiness or continue to believe you don’t deserve it. And I don’t care about your history.”

“You will.”

“No. I want you, the man who worked his way up to foreman. The man who always treats his staff with respect. The man who vouched for a city girl even though it could have cost him his job.”

He cupped her face in both hands. “You’re poison,” he whispered. “But I’m thinking it would be a good way to die.”

* * * *

After dinner, Rachel was restless, pacing in front of the large picture window. She could see nothing but blackness reflecting back at her. There was more—a faint reflection of herself. It was still hard to look at herself and not feel disappointed in what she saw. But she was getting better each day, slowly learning to see her positive attributes.

What she wanted right now was to get out of the manor and back to the trailer with her men. They made the world go away, made her feel beautiful and sexy. She’d made some headway with Wyatt but not nearly enough. She needed him, wanted him, and her body was aching for his touch. There was a sense of urgency in the air, a virtual clock ticking down. Rachel felt the need to solidify something with her men, or her window of opportunity would pass her by.

“Can’t sleep?” asked Isabella. She came in, carrying a small box of paperwork. She rested it on the arm of a sofa.

“No, just thinking.” Then she remembered the question she needed answered. “I was meaning to ask you, what is the private stable? I’ve heard several of the men talk about it.”

Isabella’s friendly expression faded, leaving her poker faced. “It’s nothing. Nothing at all. Just a little
hobby
of Damien’s. It’s very private, and trust me, you don’t want anything to do with that place.” Without waiting for a response, she picked up her box and headed back to the exit. “Get some sleep, Rachel. You’ll be dead on your feet in the morning.”

The private stable
. Rachel was more curious than ever. She had to know what went on over there. Even Wyatt and Ethan had mentioned the place. She knew where it was, but had never ventured close enough to explore. It was on the periphery of the main barns, the large one-story stable sitting by itself in isolation. Were her men there now? She knew it had something to do with women, and she needed to know if her cowboys were players. There was no way she’d put up with a cheater. Her years of maltreatment were over, a fresh new path ahead of her. But she was also terrified to know the truth.

Rachel left the house under the shroud of darkness, slipping out undetected through the side entrance. She wore black stretchy pants and the Iron Spur T-shirt. Her hair was still damp from her evening shower, hanging heavily around her face as she crept along the sides of trailers and barns where the chorus of crickets was at full volume. She could hear the cowboys talking and laughing inside their homes, the occasional one outside having a cigarette. Rachel remained unnoticed as she navigated the long, soft grass against the trailers.

As she neared the private stable, her heart began to race. She knew she shouldn’t be out here. Although she’d never been directly told not to venture to this place, it was almost an unspoken law that she wasn’t invited. Why? She was a full employee now, even if new and still learning. Shouldn’t she have access to all the grounds?

It was darker way out here, no outdoor lights to illuminate the structure. She made her way to the soft glow coming from a window. It was higher up than her, so she had to pull herself up to peek over the ledge. At first she jumped, catching glimpses of red satin and black leather. Her heart began to race.
Please don’t let me find Wyatt and Ethan inside.
It had never bothered her when she suspected Jason of cheating on her. There had been no love or affection in that relationship, only sadness. But she felt something much deeper for her new lovers. They got under her skin, made her feel beautiful and special. They were real men, hard and strong, but gentle enough to care for a woman’s needs.

She didn’t want to lose them. But were they even hers to lose?

Rachel wedged her shoe against the wooden side of the stable and got a better look inside. There was a large room lit only by candlelight. A woman she’d never seen was lying on a sheet of red satin, her arms bound above her. She was naked. A man wearing a black mask and leather pants stood near her. His chest and abs were toned to perfection. When she examined him closer, she realized it was Trevor from the roundup. He held a leather flogger in his hand, letting the tendrils tickle the woman’s pussy. The sudden recognition almost made her fall off the ledge, her arms already protesting from holding up her weight.

Rachel was enraptured, unable to look away. The window ledge bit into her fingers, but she had to see what would happen next. She’d never been more curious, the forbidden voyeurism turning her on like never before.