The Cowboy's Secret (Cowboys After Dark: Book 3) (12 page)

It had felt odd not driving off to Tom’s Tavern to meet him for dinner, and she found herself missing his company. Not feeling particularly hungry she’d fried up some eggs and tomatoes, and sitting at the kitchen table by herself, something she’d done many times before, she felt out of sorts. When she’d finally showered and climbed into bed she drifted off to sleep reliving his kisses, and yearning to feel his arms around her again.

Clint, however, had been deeply embroiled in devouring two large pepperoni pizza’s and sharing a six pack with Sam. After quickly dispensing with the horse business the conversation had immediately turned to Amelia. Sam was full of questions, the most important of which came towards the end of the evening, and they were more about Clint than the woman who had suddenly appeared in his life.

“As far as I’m concerned, its about time you found your feet,” Sam declared. “You’ve paid your penance, though I’m not sure you had a penance to pay.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to get involved, I do. Man, the short time I spent with her this afternoon in The Woodshed, it felt like I could breathe again,” Clint replied, the recall sparking his soul.

“What’s stoppin’ you? I mean, besides the fact that she’s a handful, but you like women who are a handful, so…?”

“I’ve told her we’ll take it a day at a time. It’s all I can do! I’ve found some peace here, started new. Do I want to churn it all up with a woman?”

“Hell yeah!” Sam exclaimed. “Mitch and Zane have been lucky enough to find girls. I wish I could. Count your lucky stars.”

Clint had found Sam’s support reassuring, and when he woke in the morning, he did so with an idea floating around his head. After breakfast, as he worked with the horses, he continued to mull it over, and finally, just before lunch he called her.

“Hi Clint. Are we still on for dinner tonight?”

“Sure we are, and that’s why I’m callin’. Are you comin’ to ride this afternoon?”

“If that’s okay,” she replied, closing her eyes as she sank into the deep gravel of his voice.

“Sure is. I have a surprise for you,” he declared.

“Really? What?”

“Darlin’, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you,” he scolded.

“Sure it would. I’d just be surprised now, instead of later,” she retorted.

“You know, I cannot wait to spank your butt again,” he declared.

“What? Why? What did I say?” she replied.

“You wanna hear my suggestion, or do you wanna keep fencin’ and pushin’ your luck?”

“Your suggestion, please,” she laughed.

“Why don’t you bring a change of clothes? You can change and shower here after you ride, and you won’t have to go all the way home and come back again.”

Amelia broke into a large smile, and yelled a silent thank you to the heavens.

“That’d be great,” she agreed. “I’ll shop on the way.”

“See you when you get here,” he replied, and as he ended the call he took a deep breath. “Damn, heart, quick your poundin’.”

It was a few hours later, after Amelia had spent some time at her property and finished at the grocery store, that she drove through the gates of Train And Trail Horse Farm. As she rolled up the driveway to the house she could feel the butterflies fluttering, and when she pulled to a stop Clint stepped on to the verandah to meet her, stepping forward to open her door.

“Whoa,” she laughed. “Valet Service?”

“You complainin’?” he grinned.

“Hardly,” she remarked, and impulsively leaned forward and gave him a hug. Instinctively his arms came up to envelope her, and he closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of her hair.

God you smell good. It’s been so damn long…

“You seem happy to see me,” she giggled, pulling back and staring up at him.

“Guilty,” he grinned. “I’ve been thinkin’ about that home-cooked meal, and a few other things,” he winked.

“Me too,” she winked back, then feeling the flush move across her face she turned away to open the back door to retrieve the groceries and her bag

“Here, I’ll do that,” he insisted moving past her. “I know you’re little Miss Independent, but I’m here now and I do the heavy liftin’.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said, saluting him.

He gave her a warning look but it was coupled with a grin.

“Come on, young lady, before you get yourself in trouble.”

“Me? Trouble?” she laughed following him in to the house.

With Clint leading the way they moved through to the kitchen, and depositing the grocery bag on the center island he turned and smiled at her.

“You wanna see your surprise?” he asked.

“Of course!” she exclaimed. “What is it?”

“Go look out the window.”

Puzzled, she moved quickly to the large bay window and stared down at the barn below.

“Holy crap! You’re kidding me. That’s fantastic!”

The riding ring had four jumps set up; three with poles, and a block wall.

“They arrived this morning. There’s a place sells this stuff just about an hour away, and I figured it’d be good to have them regardless.”

“You did this for me,” she sighed, turning to face him.

“Well, you and Jiminy. I figure he’ll get bored just trottin’ around.”

“I don’t know what to say,” she breathed walking over to him. “I’m speechless. Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” he smiled, his heart touched by her gratitude and excitement. “I can’t wait to see you jump him.”

“Come here, big guy,” she murmured placing her arms around his neck.

His cock stirred to life as she planted her lips against his. Dancing her tongue between his teeth and pressing her body against his, she kissed him with an urgent neediness that had been with her since leaving him the afternoon before.

“Damn, woman,” he groaned as they broke apart.

“You said that yesterday,” she muttered.

“I meant it then too,” he frowned. “Do you have any idea the things I wanna do to you?”
Did I just say that?

“No, but I can’t wait to find out,” she mumbled, feeling a deep, hungry churning in her stomach.

“Come on, let’s get your butt in that saddle before I decide to do somethin’ else to it.”

“You say the most romantic things,” she teased.

Grinning, he spun her around and slapped her backside with a single, hard swat.

“OW! What was that for?” she protested.

“You know darn well. Go on, after you sweet cheeks.”

“We have to put away the groceries,” she argued.

“Anythin’ that needs the refrigerator?” he asked, peering into the bags.

“Just the chicken,” she replied.

Rifling through the various items he found the cold package and quickly threw it in the stainless steel refrigerator.

“Done! Now let’s go,” he ordered, hustling her outside.

“What’s your hurry?” she asked as they climbed into the golf cart.

“Simple, the sooner we leave, the sooner we get back,” he winked.

J
iminy did everything Amelia expected, and more. Being cautious she had started with a simple cross-rail which the horse literally stepped over.

“He was insulted,” she laughed as Clint raised the bar to a low vertical.

After just a few minutes she was cantering around the ring, jumping fence after fence, until they were up high enough that Jiminy was tucking his knees and performing like a champion.

“He is so easy to ride, I felt like a passenger,” she beamed as she trotted over to Clint and slid off his back. “Some people get intimidated by a big horse. Maybe was the problem for the girl who had her, because honestly, he’s a dream.”

“That’s sure how it looked,” Clint nodded. “You two seem like a real match.”

“We are. Wow, that was amazing. Thank you so much for bringing in those jumps. I thought my show days were over, but with this guy I’d be happy to put my hunt coat back on.”

“Step at a time,” Clint warned. “Give it a couple of weeks and I’ll call my buddy and see if he’s interested in sellin’.”

“I’m determined to own him,” Amelia said seriously, and Jiminy, standing at her side, as if understanding the conversation nudged her. “See,” she laughed, leaning against his neck. “He wants it too!”

They headed back to the barn and Amelia placed him the cross-ties.

“We can’t do anything about makin’ that paddock secure for him,” Clint remarked as he pulled off the saddle, “but when I was talkin’ to Sam last night, he suggested we get some pipe and extend the corral. We could add another thirty-six feet.’

“What a good idea,” she replied. “You and Sam seem more like friends than boss and employee.”

“Yep, you’re right. He is a good friend,” Clint agreed. “We’ve been through some interestin’ times together.”

“I’d love to hear about them,” she said lightly.

“Maybe one of these days,” he frowned. “Meantime, let’s get this boy cleaned up.”

Looking at his face she could tell he had no intention of telling her anything, and as she continued to groom the big horse her curiosity ballooned.

What’s the big secret? Why won’t you share stuff with me, and how can you be MIA on the internet? That’s impossible!

She put Jiminy in his corral and threw him some hay while Clint carried her tack into the barn, and they headed back up to the house in the golf cart.

“You can use one of the guest rooms,” he said as they walked into the house.

“Great, thanks,” she smiled

Stopping through the kitchen and grabbing her bag, she followed him down a wide hallway into a beautifully decorated bedroom. It boasted a wrought iron bed with a soft green and white bedspread, and offered sliding glass doors that led out to a private balcony overlooking the ranch below.

“What a lovely room,” she declared. “Mind if I copy it.”

“Of course not,” he grinned.

“The thought of redoing that house becomes more daunting every day. After all the homes I’ve done to sell, I thought fixing up my own would be fun but it’s not. It’s weird.”

“Maybe you’re just tired of doin’ it,” Clint suggested. “Let me ask you somethin’, if you could move into a ranch where you didn’t have to do a thing, would that appeal to you?”

She paused and looked at him.

“Crap!”

“What,” he chuckled.

“That thought never even crossed my mind, but the answer is, in a heartbeat. That’s exactly what I should’ve done. Dammit.”

“It’s not too late. You could put that property back on the market, move your horses here, like we talked about, and start lookin’ for somethin’ else.”

“I’m definitely going to give that some serious thought,” she nodded. “So strange, the idea of doing some cosmetic stuff to that house and flipping it totally appeals to me. I can do that in a few weeks. How weird is that? Fixing it and selling it is motivating me, but renovating it for myself, like I thought I wanted to, doesn’t appeal to me all.”

“Sometimes you gotta look at things from a different angle,” he smiled. “Towels, soap, all that stuff is in the bathroom. I’m gonna jump in the shower myself. See you in the livin’ room.”

“Yes, you will,” she smiled. “I’d hug you but I’d rather wait until I’m not all dusty and dirty.”

“Hey, you can hug me any time,” he said quietly, moving over to her, “dusty and dirty works just fine.”

Pulling her against him, he held her tightly, relishing the feel of her breasts against his chest, and her soft yielding as she leaned into him, then planting a light kiss upon her lips, he gave her a wink and left the room.

Sighing happily Amelia ambled across to the windows and gazed down at the scene below. Clint had sectioned out the paddocks for maximum usage, giving each a slight hill for the horses to roam up and down, building their muscles. The shelters were close to the gates for ease of feeding, and she could see how the positioning maximized the shade. There were huge troughs for water that had automatic valves keeping them full, and the round pens, barn and riding arena were ideally located.

You really know what you’re doin’ Clint Hogan, and you have gorgeous animals here. You didn’t just start up when you arrived in this town, you’ve been doing this a long time. How have you erased your past? I have to know where you came from.

Moving into the bathroom she stripped off and turned on the shower. The counter was pale green granite, and one large mirror covered the wall behind it.

This house cost you. Everything is up-market and high quality. You really are an enigma
.

Stepping into the shower she washed off, then languished a few minutes, enjoying the hot water as it splashed across her body. Finally turning off the faucets she toweled off, then standing with her back to the mirror she looked over her shoulder; though fading, marks from her spanking could still be seen. A few butterflies danced happily, and dressing quickly she dabbed on some makeup and headed to the living room.

“There you are,” he grinned as she walked in. “Don’t mean to sound hokey, but you look pretty as a picture.”

“Thanks, you clean up good too,” she grinned back.

Dressed in blue jeans and a white shirt, his tanned skin and hazel eyes jumped out at her. His dark wavy hair still slick from the shower, was combed back off his face accentuating his chiseled good looks.

Good Lord, you look like you jumped off the cover of a romance novel.

“Coffee, or something stronger?” he asked.

“Since I don’t have to drive anywhere, at least for a while,” she added quickly, not wanting him to think she was assuming anything, “why don’t you fix me something. I have a feeling you know how to mix up an excellent drink or two.”

“So happens that’d be correct,” he nodded as he moved behind the bar. “Ever had a Black Orchid?”

“No, haven’t even heard of it,” she admitted perching on a bar stool.

“Then allow me to introduce you to the wonders of this adult beverage,” he grinned, pulling out an aluminum martini shaker.

“I will allow you to introduce me to anything you’d like,” she winked.

“Aha, I will hold you to that,” he chuckled, pouring various liquids into the metal container.

Scooping crushed ice from a bucket in the mini-refrigerator he dropped it into his concoction, and placing the top on the shaker he dramatically twirled it around before straining the drink into two martini glasses.