Branded (23 page)

The task ahead of her would be
difficult, but not impossible.

As she sat there thinking, Saki
came in and sat beside her. Silence hung between them until her
friend eventually spoke.

“What happened in the barn was hot
to watch. You two have something serious going on. The sparks and
zings bouncing between you were crazy.”

“Or something,” Molly laughed, even
though she hadn’t found the humor in the situation yet. Maybe she
would at some point in the future—years, no, decades into the
future. She never believed she’d forget her surroundings to such an
extent as to almost have sex with people watching.

“Don’t be embarrassed. Earlier
today I was riding the fences, checking the outer huts, and I ended
up in Ted’s lap, climaxing as his mobile went off. The vibrate
ringer was on. Could’ve been a mortifying scenario, but we took it
for what it was—a beautiful moment between us.”

Her best friend pulled Molly’s arm
from covering her eyes and gave her a hug. It was exactly what she
needed. The support and understanding from someone she hoped
respected her. It was a priceless move. Tears clouded her eyes, but
didn’t spill. With a few deep breaths, she laughed for
real.

“It was an incredibly powerful
moment. I honestly didn’t know he wanted me with such fire and
intensity. I knew he liked me, but he’d only ever held my hand and
given me a quick kiss here and there. I’m bloody confused.” She was
done dwelling on the scene and how it happened. It was time to
focus on where to go from this point on.

“After you left, the guys were
saying it was about time he let you know how he felt. Apparently he
isn’t as much the strong, silent type as he is the strong and let’s
get it on type. Sunny told me at our first meeting he ended each
day with the woman of his choice.”

“His choice? Dang, what is he, a
Lothario?” Molly wasn’t connecting the guy she knew with one who
bounced from bed to bed.

“No, but apparently he is the local
catch. There aren’t a lot of guys around, and the single women for
miles will do whatever it takes to catch him. He’s a nice man,
would do anything to help a friend or stranger, and is sexy as
well. The man is quite a combination and like candy for the
ladies.”

Molly listened to what her friend
was saying, but wondered if she was aware of the kinky side to the
man. Of course Saki was well aware of the Wilson brothers’
preferences when it came to sex, and they were a happy trio.
Bondage and some domination interested her. However, she wasn’t
sure where Jon stood in regards to sex or what Saki knew that he
wanted.

There was experimentation and then
there were preferences. He’d mentioned tying her up, but was he
talking bondage or kinky fun?

“Do you want some water?” Saki
asked.

“Yes, thank you. It was hot work
until we turned on the new system in the office.”

The other woman continued talking
about their project as she went into the kitchen to get them
glasses of water. Once she came back, Molly was ready to ask her
friend a few questions.

“I don’t want you to betray any
confidences or anything, but I was wondering if the guys have
mentioned Jon and if he’s, well, kinky like them?” There, the first
and most important question was out and she looked to her friend
for an answer.

“Why do you ask?” Saki looked a
little surprised by her query.

“It’s something he said to me
before he left,” she said and hoped it would be enough. She’d never
kept secrets from the other woman and wasn’t sure why she hesitated
to say more.

“Well, from what I understand, yes,
he’s a kinky cowboy like the rest of the group. When they were
younger there weren’t many girls around and, with the women’s
approval, they shared. From there they experimented, and shortly
after a club started where they could practice BDSM under the
guidance of more knowledgeable people. It’s something they, Jon,
Sunny and Court, and a few others all enjoy.”

“Oh,” was all Molly could say.
There was a great deal more going through her head. She was
intrigued by his being into bondage, maybe even domination. Sadism
and masochism held no interest for her, but she could be willing to
try submission. Shoot, she already wanted to submit herself to him,
do whatever he asked. What was different?

Fine, she knew intellectually it
would be different and she was excited to see what developed. She
was interested in him and all the complications it entailed, and
not what their scenario offered.

“Have I surprised you?” Saki asked
with a worried note in her voice.

“Kind of, but not really. He said
something about tying me to a pole before he took me, which I took
as a hint he was into the bondage thing. I wanted to know as it
might play a part in whether we get together or not.” There, she’d
said it out loud. She was considering going to him in the way he
wanted.

“You’re not turned off by his kinky
side, are you? Because I think if it came down to his having you or
the bondage stuff, he’d choose you in a heartbeat. From the way the
guys talk, he is as good as caught by you.”

“Seriously?” She was surprised by
the claim. It was big for him to deny a part of his sexual
preferences in order to have something with her, and she knew she
wouldn’t make him choose.

“Yes! Jon sits at your side and
doesn’t look away. They aren’t calling it a crush or infatuation,
but love, and apparently he’s never fallen before.” Saki finished
her water and went to put her glass in the kitchen. She came back
in and asked the one question Molly had been mulling over in her
head.

“Do you know if you’re open to
having a relationship with Jon, BDSM or not?”

“A bit intrigued, no, interested.
Very interested, especially as you aren’t scared by what is
involved, so why should I be? As for a relationship, absolutely!
Even if we never had sex, which obviously wouldn’t happen, but even
if we didn’t, I’m attracted to him and his brain. The sex is like
the cherry on top of a pile of whipped cream.” They laughed at the
analogy, but it was her truth. She liked the quiet Jon and wanted
to spend more time with him. The sexy Jon, the one who wanted to
tie her up and take her, also seemed breathtaking.

The weird thing for her was how she
needed him, which surprised her. She hadn’t needed anything for a
long time, only need and want were exactly the emotions the hunky
cowboy inspired in her. All he had to do was look at her with those
long-lashed chocolate brown eyes and lush lips, and she
melted.

The more she considered having sex
with him, the more she realized her first affair had been child’s
play.

Her first and only intimate partner
had been her coach. She spent too much time with him and had
believed the world rested on him. He could do no wrong and she
eventually grew into an adult who wasn’t looking for someone to
worship. No longer was he interested in the twenty-year-old, not
when there were other sixteen-year-olds panting after him and doing
anything to get his attention. Unfortunately, he had decided during
the Olympics to actively look for someone new, and she was
devastated.

Molly wouldn’t blame losing the
gold on him and his actions, or even her parents’ lack of support.
However, the emotional mess during an important mental and physical
challenge meant she learned a big lesson. Don’t trust anyone else
to be there for her, the final outcome was all in her
hands.

That was it! Jon had put the
decision in her hands and it was up to her to take what she wanted
or not. She definitely wanted the man, but she had to figure out if
there was something more she wanted besides sex.

Easy, she wanted to have all of
him. Heart and mind were what she was after, not merely the body,
although his deliciously hot form would be a welcome addition. Once
she knew what she wanted, there was only one question to answer.
How did she get everything on her list?

“Saki? How do I get him? Not for a
night or two of sex, but all of him. I know you say he wants me,
maybe even loves me, but I’m not sure. He doesn’t know me, at least
not all of me. Tell me, how do I capture his attention and woo
him?” There, progress was being made to achieve her goal of having
him at her side.

“Do you love him?” Her friend asked
as she sat back on the couch.

“It’s been a long time since I had
a man in my life, loved someone, and I am not as confident about my
feelings. I’m starting to, and everything I hear about him pulls me
closer to feeling more for him than I had.” She’d locked herself
away for long enough. It was time to move on with life and open her
heart again.

“In my opinion, you’ve spent time
with him and know him well, but on a friendly level. Maybe you need
to get physical. You said it’s been a long time since you’ve been
with a man. I think you have a lot of pent up passion and it needs
to be released in order to know for sure. Play around, get kinky or
not, but experience being with him in a different way. See if the
intimacy makes the answer more obvious.”

“I can manage getting close to him,
no problem. What I need to know is how do I seduce him?” She hadn’t
ever had to work for a man before. Her coach had been attracted to
her and, when she finally realized it, she had been ready to jump
in with both feet.

“You know what I’m going to say.
Put the red makeup on your nipples. Give him a hint it’s there,
maybe give him a look, and I guarantee he’ll take you. No question
about it.” Saki had worn the makeup with Matt, and Molly knew how
well it had worked on him.

“Do you have any?”

“I sure do, even brought extra pots
with me from Japan. You can have one. Go braless tonight and wear
your sheer white blouse, then he can get a hint of the bright red
whenever he checks out your breasts. He won’t be able to not look.
Once he gets an eyeful of the red, I don’t doubt his eyes will
remain glued to them.”

“You’re a wicked woman, Sakura
Nakamura,” she laughed as they headed to her friend’s
room.

“I’m learning and more than willing
to share the information.”

“Keep talking, I need to know as
much as possible if I’m going after this man. Jon oozes sex appeal,
and sounds like he knows all the tricks, and I must play the game
right in order to catch the guy.” Molly had rarely failed, and she
was going to do whatever it took to get her man and hopefully have
a few orgasms along the way.

No river flowed near the ranch, but
that hadn’t stopped Jon from finding a way to enjoy water while
outside. He’d built a private sanctuary behind a high wall on the
edge of his land. The only structures were a shower stall built of
stone with a path to a teepee surrounded by tall grass and trees.
No one could chance upon the space and he let his hair down,
literally, whenever he was there.

Pulling off his hat, he walked into
the teepee and looked around, taking in what could be seen and what
he knew was there. Finally he understood why it had been important
for him to finish building it. The inside wasn’t particularly
large, but he could stand up and walk around the center pole for a
few feet before his head touched the walls.

The teepee housed a leather-covered
spanking horse and a swing with its own stand tucked under the
slant of the walls. He could access a low to the ground bondage
frame by crawling or sitting on his knees. Behind the center pole,
facing away from the entrance stood a small chest of drawers.
Sitting on top were folded blankets, rather innocuous, but inside
were leather straps, whips, and many more toys. Everything rested
on the fabric-covered floor. His next project involved finding a
rug.

Hopes of Molly coming to play with
him filled the structure.

Until today, he’d only ever dreamed
about tying her up and taking her until she cried out his name.
After their kiss in the barn, he had more reason to think it was
actually possible she’d visit.

At some point, before he lost the
plot and dipped his hand in her pants, he realized she was, if
anything, a secret submissive. She’d been open to his kiss and
focused on pleasing him. When her legs couldn’t open wide enough
and she’d tried to climb him, he’d accepted the step she’d taken.
Right then, he knew she was meant to be with him, and knew her
being a sub to his dominant was possible. At least, he hoped so,
but he’d possess her in whatever way she came.

Reaching down to grab hold of his
hard cock, he gave a squeeze and smiled.

“All she has to do is ask,” he
muttered and walked out to the shower. Setting his hat on a nearby
bench, he pulled off his boots and socks, then stripped off his
jeans and underwear. With purpose, he walked under the head and
turned on the water.

It was cold, but refreshing. He’d
picked the veggies they needed for dinner and he wanted to clean
off before getting dressed. There was no rush until he needed to
head up to Matt and Ted’s house. He’d take the veggies, cleaned and
prepped for grilling, then he’d have plenty of time to stop by the
cottage and collect Molly and Saki.

Soap he bought from a local lady
who made her own rested on a rock set off to the side. He liked how
she had bars available made of sage and juniper, and not only
pretty flowers. There was no need for him to go around smelling
like a bouquet.