Romance: Cowboy Romance: Riding The BIG Bull (BBW Romance, Western Contemporary Romance, Cowboy Romance)

Riding

The

Big Bull

By Sara Snow

 Copyright 2015 by Sara Snow - All rights reserved.

In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

Chapter 1: An Accounting and a Showdown

Though some said it was the way her smile turned up her lips on one side and narrowed her eyes, Mary Steward knew she earned the moniker Twisted Mary by reputation. She was a shrewd woman who knew how to take care of her girls. When she made her agreement with Earl Whitman to train the women in his saloon to properly care for a man, she made sure that she secured for them locked doors when they were off duty and a fair share of the money Earl took in for their services.

Twisted Mary also earned it by her own brand of pleasure, the ability to add a little pain and humiliation into her services and still have her men on their knees, begging for more. These days she took on fewer clients herself, leaving the rowdy cowboys and ranch hands to her ladies. They could more than handle them, and more than a few wondered sometimes how they had managed to spend more in Earl’s establishment than they thought.

Mary taught her girls a few extra tricks to help them save up for their retirement.

She still serviced two of the largest ranchers around Alto occasionally, when they managed to pull themselves away from the homestead and their overbearing wives. She also serviced the local doctor on a regular basis in order to secure regular checkups for her girls.

Most of Mary’s attention, however, was paid to Paul, “Rowdy Paul” Raucous. He was a hero of sorts in Alto. When the big ranchersfeuded, he was the one helping the people caught between them and finding a clever way to put an end to the fighting. The Indians around Alto dislike the intrusion of the“pale man”and while Paul did not blame them one bit, he was still ready to defend hapless miners and ranch hands who accidently ran afoul of the temperamental locals.

They Mayor of Alto himself credited Paul’s relationship with the local Indians, who had sheltered him in the days when he was not considered a town hero, in helping to ensure that something like peace was maintained between them. Mary was not sure how true that was. She knew that the previous Mayor was not friendly to cowboys at all, and that he had more than a few run-ins with Paul’s one time employer and mentor, a rancher named Lyn Carlisle, a man who passed away due to the natural cause of gunshots through his home.

The current Mayor was one of Paul’s fellow cowboys and a long-time drinking buddy. Mary supposed that Paul might have said something to his Indian friends when he was with them, when he learned that the previous Mayor was out and a new one was installed. She thought it was more likely, however, that the new Mayor simply exaggerated thestory to make it less likely for men to try to claim the Marshall’s bounty on Paul’s head.

Mary’s relationship with Paul began simply asa show of appreciation. A man passing through town had decided to be rough with one of Mary’s girls. Paul stepped in and took care of the problem, and Mary decided it was time she gave something back. That something turned into an entire night. Mary could not say if it was his gentlemanly demeanor afterwards or the size of his–endowment. She could only say that after that night she was hooked.

Paul had tried on several occasions to get Mary to marry him. Mary never considered herself the type suited to matrimony. While Paul promised that he would not take her away from a business that she enjoyed, she could never bring herself to accept his proposal, no matter how much she loved him.

She always told herself it was because she loved him. Her own mother had been miserable in her marriage. Part of what drove Mary to the lifestyle she now had was the desire to never be at the mercy of a man. Oh, she might be at his disposalfor an hour or two. She made sure she was well compensated for her time, and if she did not like the cut of a client, she could show him the door. Earl liked to call it a“whore’s prerogative.”Mary just called it common sense. There was no point in having a man in the bed who could not at least respect what he was getting.

Tonight, Mary decided all her attention was going to Paul.

Seeing as the people of Alto never bothered to try to collect on the sizable bounty, $5,000, on Paul’s head, Marshall Tom Willis finally decided to come back to Alto to take care of matters himself. The Marshall was not a bad man. Mary knew from other towns that he had a reputation for treating women well, and he was a man of honor. He had once been a resident of Alto, and he had a fine reputation with the people here.

The town folk tried to explain to him why having Paul with them, and alive, was worth more to them than the reward. Tom Willis would not have it. He did, however, understand the sentiment of the good folk of Alto, especially after the Padre himself tried to plead for Paul’s freedom and life.

“I will make a simple proposal then,”Tom announced to the town.“Rowdy Paul meets me tomorrow at high noon, here in front of Earl’s Saloon. We will have a nice, one on one showdown. If he lives, he walks a free man. I’ll make it known that his debt to society is paid. If he does not, well that is honor and God’s will at work.”

Paul answered it. Mary knew he would. Tom Willis knew that he would as well. Paul was an outlaw, but like the good Marshall, he was also a man of honor. If a duel were presented to him, he could do nothing else but accept it.

Mary fidgeted as she watched Paul down his shot of whiskey, offered by Earl on the house. He was a handsome man, with light brown hair and dashing blue eyes, as bright as the sky on a sunny day. The stubble was growing along his chin and cheeks. He considered it good luck if he had something important, like a train robbery or a“negotiation”with a pair of feuding ranchers. He would not shave it until after the showdown.

He would not Mary thought to herself shave it ever again. Tom Willis was more than an honorable man of the law. He was also one of the fastest draws and one of the best shots in the west. Paul was good. Mary had seen him hit a man on horseback at two-hundred yards. Paul had injured the man.

Tom Willis had managed the same feat–at three hundred yards striking the man in the head and killing him. That man had also been going at a full gallop, whereas Paul’s target was only managing a light trot.

Things did not look well for Paul.

“So there I was,”Tom said, pushing his wire-rim glasses up on his nose andpicking up his own shot of whiskey.“I was facing down Cartwright and I said to him,‘you’ll do best to ride on out of town now.’The man looked at me with a crazy look in his eye. The next thing I knew, he was charging right at me, trying to knock the wind outa me with his shoulder.”

Paul shook his head as he looked at the Marshall.

Tonight, the two men were just old buddies. Tom, like Paul, had worked for Lyn Carlisle. Tom had worked for Carlisle for a half-dozen seasons at least, and was the one who brought Paul on. They had gone their separate ways after Carlisle’s death. Paul had a mind toward revenge. Tom did not have the stomach for it, and eventually turned up lawman.

That revenge was what had brought him here. Everyone knew who had Carlisle killed, and Paul and a handful of others saw to it that justice was done. The Sheriff in Alto at the time would do nothing, and no one had solid evidence to take to the Marshall at the time.

Outlaws, however, did not need evidence; they only needed surety. Paul saw to it that Carlisle’s murderers were taken out, and in return, the law decided he was a wanted man.

The various train robberies and other deeds-no-good followed after. Paul figured that if he was wanted, he might as well have money to retire on once that wanted status wore itself out.

Mary walked up to the two men, giving Tom a polite nod before turning her attention to Paul.“I thought I might give you a nice night before you and our good Marshall have to face off tomorrow.”

Paul looked out her from the corner of his eye, and Mary could see the playful glint there.“Does that mean you’re finally going to go and see the Padre with me?”

Mary shook her head.“I have nothing I need to confess, Paul Raucous. At least, nothing that the Padre hasn’t seen firsthand.”

Paul, Tom, and Earl all laughed at that joke.

“Now, would you like to come and join me upstairs? I think that the good Marshall will have enough of your attention tomorrow.”

Paul looked at her and then to Tom.“I suppose so. Do you think you can manage to not leave your glasses on the bar if I’m not here to remind you to grab them?”

Tom laughed and tapped the rims.“That’s why I’m wearing them, friend. You go on with your lady friend. I’m sure she has a nice send-off planned for you.”

Paul stood and Mary led him to the stairs up to the second level, where Earl kept rooms for all of his guests. She had a special one set aside, with a window over the backside of the saloon.

“Now, my Twisted Mary,”Paul said as he closed the door behind him.“What kind of send-off do you have planned for me?”

Chapter 2: A Right and Proper Send-Off

Mary looked at Paul with her eyes narrow and her hands on her hips. His eyes were full of the same cocky fire that she had come to love. He stood leaning against the door, one leg crossed in front of the other.

“I thought that I would make a lot of noise up here to let everyone downstairs think we were having the time of our lives. Meanwhile, you would slip down the awning on the back side of the saloon and be off,”Mary said.

Paul shook his head and stepped forward until he stood inches from Mary. He brushed aside a lock of her curly hair and his blue eyes met hers.“I think I would rather stay up here and make all of that noise with you.”

Mary huffed.“You are such a stubborn man. Tom Willis means to kill you tomorrow, and you know that. Even if he doesn’t, they’ll hang you when he takes you back to Dodge. Leave, Paul. Escape. Live.”

Paul brushed his fingers down Mary’s cheek.“What about you? Would you come with me?”

Mary placed her hand on Paul’s.“If it meant you would be alive, I would follow you to the ends of the Earth.”

“And I thought you didn’t want to marry me.”Paul gave her a playful wink.

Mary sighed.“I don’t want to marry, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t run away with you. We’ll take that leap together, you and I. We’ll ride off into the night and never look back at Alto or Marshall Willis.”

Paul kissed Mary lightly on the lips.“You know that I can’t do that, Mary. I gave Tom my word, and I do not break my word.”

Mary grunted and turned, dropping Paul’s hand. She looked out over the saloon’s dark corral. The moon was hidden behind clouds tonight. She and Paul both could be gone, unseen even if they walked out in the open. They could go to the Indians in the hills and hide until the coast was clear to ride out. They could go west to California or south to Mexico.

Paul placed his hands on Mary’s shoulders and kissed her neck softly.“Mary Steward, you are an amazing woman. I would go anywhere with you, but right now, I have something I have to do. It’s a matter of honor, and if I did not do it, I would not be the man you love.”

Mary let out a sigh.

“Now, about that send-off. I’m rather looking forward to that.”

Mary’s eyes widened. Paul seemed willing to go and meet his maker. Perhaps if she showed him why the flesh was so nice, he might have a reason to delay that meeting.
I’m sure I can step things up a little.

Mary turned around to meet Paul’s eyes again.“As you like then, Rowdy Paul.”

Paul gave a laugh.“Oh I plan to show you just how I won that name.”

Mary winked at him.“Not before I show you how I won mine.”

Mary dropped to her knees and loosened the belt around Paul’s waist. He pushed down his pants to find his manhood there, already hard and waiting for her. She smiled up to Paul before bringing her tongue out to meet it.

There were times a woman simply could not see to being penetrated by her guests. Every working woman had her own way of dealing with the situation. Mary had a specialty.

Mary touched the pink head of Paul’s manhood lightly with her tongue, circling it before pressing into the small slit. Paul let out a pleased moan as she danced her tongue there to excite him. She moved her tongue around in spirals, out around the head and under, teasing the sensitive skin there. Then she traced down the shaft, kissing as she went along, applying a little suction with each touch of her lips.