The Rider's Dangerous Embrace (An Interracial Bad Boy Romance Story) (9 page)

“What?”

“Your father was good friends with my dad. He died when I was just a kid. They rode together. So your dad kind of took over. He helped my mom. Moved her into one of the first ranches he purchased. Gave her a job and in return for her labor gave her partnership in the company. So now she is a…”

“Partner, which means you will inherit someday.” She put it all together. Why he cared so much. Why he wanted to see it go someplace good. Why he knew so much about the company. “Unless she sells.”

“No, I don’t want to earn it that way.” He walked over and handed a cup to her. “I want to earn my way up through the ranks, like your dad. To make my own way.”

Her anger melted away. He meant exactly what he was saying. She could tell by the look in his eyes.

“Well, you certainly earned sponsorship.”

“I hope I’ve earned more than that.” He pulled her off the couch and into his arms.

“What do you hope you’ve earned?” She asked, her eyebrows drawn. Her pulse was going so fast it was the only thing that she could concentrate on. The way it pounding in her head over and over again. His touch was too much. It was doing all kinds of things to her that she just could not control.

“I think you know, especially after the other night.” He bent down, his lips hovering over her before taking hers. His kiss was soft, sweet and lingering, as he held on tight to her.

“I want to be your man, Jayda.” It should have sounded corny, but it didn’t. Not when his husky voice rasped those words. “I want you. All of you.”

Jayda held on tight to him, clinging to his naked torso as he pushed the kiss deeper. He tasted good, like sweet milk and a bit of hazelnut. She probed a little deeper, her tongue tasting and teasing. Her nipples stiffened against him, dragging across his chest, their peaks hard through her blouse fabric. She pulled herself back away from him. The way he heaved in breath after breath. The look on his face. She loved the way he looked after he kissed her. She almost believed that she had an effect on him in the same way that he affected her.

“I know you won’t fight it. You can’t. I don’t want you to.” Luke picked her up like she was nothing. Wrapping her legs around his waist he walked back toward the hallway and through a door into the bedroom.

Luke kissed along her jawline, small pecks from her ear to her very chin. His hands slipped under her shirt and worked up her back. Zeroing in on her bra he unclasped it swiftly and then pulled her shirt off with one hand, the other bracing her bottom. She lifted her arms and let him strip her. Something about the way his light skin looked up against her dark caramel caught her attention and held it. They were beautiful together.

“I don’t know what it is about you.” Jayda whispered against his ear as he laid her down.

Reaching for his jeans she unclasped the button and smiled up at him.
Why is he what I want?

Jayda bit her lip and looked into his eyes as Luke shucked off his pants, leaving just him and a snug pair of boxer briefs. Pulling herself up onto her knees in the bed, she knew that if she touched him in just the right way she could get the reaction that she wanted out of him. Her hand grazed the area just above his knee and moved slowly up that strong, sinewy, inner thigh. He had muscles everywhere, and she loved the way they felt against her hands. She glided up past his underwear and into the flap, pulling out his very large, very hard cock.

Wrapping her hand around it she stroked it once, twice. Pearls of pre-cum beaded out from the slit of his head. She bit her lip and stroked again. A strong hand landed on her shoulder. Luke had to brace himself for her touch. Exactly the kind of effect she wanted to elicit from him.

“I think you want me.” Jayda smiled, her look positively wicked.

“You know I want you, Princess.” Luke ran his hand through the strands of her hair, his fingertips ghosting along her scalp. “All of you, down to the very last detail.”

Unable to take anymore, she took the plunge, wrapping her lips around that thick fleshy head. She swirled her tongue and cast her eyes up at him. He was bracing hard against her now, pushing in and out of her mouth with small pushes. Each thrust slipped up against the small of her throat, urging her to suck harder. So she did.

She worked quickly, pushing her mouth over his cock again and again, swifter with each movement. The touch of his skin against her shoulder, the feel of his body against hers. It was what she wanted. It was all she wanted.

He pulled her off of him, looking down at her with a smile on his face, “Baby, you need to stop. I’m not going to be able to hold on if you keep workin’ the way you are.”

She was there on her knees, on the bed looking into the eyes of the most handsome man she had ever seen. Even if he was littered with scars across his back, and a single mark above his eyes. She fingered it, looking into those deep gray eyes.

“Maybe I want that.” She didn’t really. She wanted him for as long as she could have him.

“Oh, but girl, I want you so much more than that.”

Luke leaned her back on the bed so that she was flat on her back before he crawled over her.

“I just want to make you feel good, Jayda. Let me do that for you.” He undid her pants and pulled them down, along with her panties, in one fell swoop.

God, he’s good at that. What else is he good at?

She was about to find out. Luke kissed her deeply, the stubble of his chin brushing against her own. It was positively delicious. She went in again after a quick breath, wanting to taste him. Taste all of him. She filled his mouth, sampling all that he had to offer, but it wasn’t enough. She pulled him down onto her and ground her hips into his. She wanted him. Now.

“Not yet, Jayda.” He pulled himself off of her and kissed her chin. “I have other things to take care of first.”

Luke kissed down her body, each little peck landing lower than the first. It heightened the emotion between the two of them, little kisses, foreshadowing what was to come. Her body tensed. She felt vulnerable and open to him, something she very rarely let any man experience. Something she hid from.

His moist breath on her most sensitive area brought her to life. She let a small moan escape her lips as she held tight to the bed and closed her eyes.

“Please…”

He descended, his mouth directly kissing her little nub. She sucked in a quick breath, the sensation of his touch caused her to buck right against his mouth. He grabbed her hips and held her tight, the force of his push pinning her against the bed. It only increased her desire for him. She could feel herself dripping. Getting wet with each touch, each kiss on her swollen fleshy clit. He licked her, his tongue moving horizontally across her clit as his fingers found her folds.

His strong fingers entered her, filling her up as he continued to lap at her hooded lady. It was too much. It was perfect. Writhing against his hand and his mouth, there was little she could do but moan. She ground out a high pitched moan that only seemed to spur him on.

“I’m gonna cum,” She whispered the admission, barely audible, even to her.

It began in little waves, a tremor in her left toe. Her orgasm exploded all at once, filling her fully and completely. She bucked hard against his mouth but he held on tight, pumping and moving inside of her with a vehemence that was hard to ignore. It deepened the waves of pleasure she felt, her inner walls undulated against his thick fingers.

He left her there, panting as he crawled up her, hovering over her. Empty. She felt empty. Jayda needed him to fill her.

“You taste amazing.” Luke kissed her softly. She could taste herself on him. God was it good. She was needy in her kisses for him, drinking in as much of him, them really, as she could.

She reached down and touched him. He was already sheathed with a condom. His preparation had escaped her watchful eye, but she was glad of it.

“Fill me, please,” She mewled, “I need you.”
More than I care to admit.

“Whatever you want, Princess.” He was there in a moment, filling her, his thick cock expanding the walls of her tight cavern.

Arching her back, Jayda gripped his shoulders and went along for the ride. She was used to being the one in charge, the one on top, but with Luke it was different. She was so far form being in control, no matter how hard she fought for it. She had to surrender. To let go and just feel him, it was everything she thought it would be.

“More.” Each one of his thrusts was met with her own hips, grinding up to reach him. She needed him to increase his pace. To fill her over and over again.

It wasn’t long until she felt the second wave of tremors move down her body. She was going to cum. Again. Her nails dug deep into his skin this time, as he growled out in pleasure mixed with pain.

Her world slowed and sharpened as the deep electricity of her orgasm came upon her. A wave of euphoric energy surrounded her as it burst out in small spasms. It rocked her in a way that was deeper than she had ever experienced. She felt his hands on her, his body inside of her. Everything all at once.

He didn’t stop to let her just experience it, he continued on, moving hard against her, intensifying her pleasure until her consciousness floated away. Somewhere in her vague awareness of afterglow he came while inside her, his body tensing with a final thrust. She was drifting somewhere between euphoria and reality. He pulled out of her quickly and discarded his condom before turning back to her and pulling her close.

“Why can’t I say no to you?” He mused as he leaned down and breathed her in.

“Do you want to?” She found herself back in the real world, his arms anchoring her down.

“Not in my wildest dreams.”

Jayda shook herself out of bed, but it wasn’t her own. She remembered as she looked up at the ceiling tiles, she was in Luke’s home. She must have dozed off after the little nap. She turned over and reached for him but his side of the bed was empty, the warmth drained out of it. She wanted to touch his skin, feel him holding her tight. Reluctantly she rose from the bed and pulled on her panties and tank top. Padding into the living room, she smiled lazily when she saw him over the stove. Savory smells wafted up into the air, meeting her nose and causing her mouth to water. She walked up behind him, enjoying the sight of a man fixing her dinner in nothing but a loose fitting pair of boxers.

“Enjoy your nap?” He asked, not even turning to look at her as he plated the entrees. “Sit down, Jayda. We have a lot to talk about.”

“About what?”

“Fixing your company and catching the bastard who is cheating you.”

Jayda took a deep breath and relaxed. It was just a dinner among colleagues. She looked in the mirror of the ladies restroom and fluffed her hair, then checked her makeup. She feathered out the light gray shadow that made her eyes pop into a stunning but icy blue. Not too much, but just enough to give an air of sophistication. Perfect.

I wonder what Daddy would think.

She pushed the thought away and prepared herself for the task at hand. A few men from her father’s training centers had agreed to meet with her over dinner in order to discuss the needs of their respective facilities. One of the strategies Jayda had come up with as a way to take back the reins of the company. She needed to know exactly who she was working with so that she could understand who would want to steal from her.

From her father.

Anyone who had a problem with her father was going to go on the suspect list, but she wouldn’t know that unless she knew these people.

Thomas had endorsed it, but his youngest daughter had a piano recital, so he wouldn’t be attending. Neither would Luke, who helped her flesh out the details from where to eat—an authentic steakhouse with moderate pricing—to how to direct the conversation. But as for the rest of it, she was on her own. She nodded at herself, a habit she got from watching her father look into the mirror just before he left for work, and pushed her way through the restroom door.

The handsome, only slightly graying men were already seated at her table, wearing what passed as fancied up casual attire. Good jeans, dark button down shirts, and hats hanging on their chairs. At least good looking muscled men are a perk of the job.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” She smiled as Dustin rose and helped her into her seat, “Have you ordered yet?”

“No, Ma’am. Waitin’ on the lady,” A thick shouldered man with a hard jaw thin lipped a smile in her direction.

Damn do they make them any other way but handsome?

“It is nice to be surrounded by gentlemen, thank you. And you are?”

“Samson Bohannon, Ma’am. Head of the Bronco Facility. Samson. Not Sam.”

“Paul Creeger, Equestrian Center.” He was noticeably different in appearance from Samson or Dustin, his hair cut in a fashionable metropolitan style and his demeanor a bit more polished. Not a favorite.

“Well, tonight is on me, order what you wish. I want to discuss business.”

Once their orders were taken care of and alcohol was served she set out to try and win the crowd. Thank God for booze.

“Our facilities are high quality, as I have been told over and over again, but during my absence while grieving, a few glaring issues have come to light. Primarily a lack of communication between the partners and the people who run our day to day operation,” She tried not to look over at Dustin. He was familiar, after all, and not hard on the eyes, but he only encouraged her forward, so she took a deep breath and continued, “I know that you submit requests and reports. And that they have been ignored as of late. So I wanted to bring you here today to discuss with you first hand the things you would like to see changed, now that I am taking control.”

“Ma’am, with all due respect, what do you actually know about the facility?” Samson delivered the blow with a gentle tone. He was clearly not trying to be insulting.

“Ms. Rivers has been to the facilities a number of times, most recently up to see the Bull Ridin’ operation, Samson. And from what I hear she has been pouring over the books. She might have a learning curve, but she cares.” Dustin was quick to her rescue. Sexy and well spoken.

She took a sip of her Cabernet and addressed Samson directly.

“Thank you, Mr. Snow, but Samson has a valid question. I don’t know much, not compared to my father, who was more than capable and knowledgeable of the business. It is part of why I am here tonight, talking to you. I figured you were the best experts about your training facilities and that you had the most insight into the daily operations. So I come asking for your help.”

An awkward silence passed between the four of them. The waitress saved them all from it with the arrival of their food. Everyone, herself included, ordered a hearty steak, hers being medium rare. She knew there would be little talking while everyone ate. It was the cowboy way after all, so she dug into her food and let her thoughts overtake her.

“How are you taking to cowgirl life, Jayda?” Dustin asked as he took a swig of his rich lager beer, that sparkle was back in his eyes, his straightforwardness drew her attention. She liked that in a man, especially when it wasn’t met with malice.

“Only been a few days, but I think I’m handling it well. Glad to be back in the swing of things. What about you, how long have you been in the business?” She didn’t have to feign interest, she really wanted to know about these men. They had all risen to positions of management, and from what she could tell they were good at what they did. Dustin particularly. He was intriguing, and the way he looked at her, it made her want to get to know him.

Luke’s angry stare flashed into her mind, remembering exactly what happened the last time she seemed a bit too interested in Dustin.

“Twenty two years, started up early, at 15.” He dug back into his food, then rose again, “Been a wild ride, that’s for sure.”

“So what exactly do you want to know, Ms. Rivers,” Paul asked this time, in between sips of his own wine.

“Jayda, please.”

“Okay, Jayda.”

“Do your facilities need additional staff, are there areas of disrepair, suggestions regarding the way you think it should move forward?” she asked, taking another sip of her wine.

She still had the list from the bull riders, which she checked. A lot of those places had invoices from construction companies, so she had proof that renovation should have been done, but clearly it wasn’t. It seemed like whoever was cutting salaries, and benefits was also finding ways to hide money. It was spent, but no updates done. And all of this had her name, her signature on it.

She needed more information, and these men were just the right kind to give it.

“Well, the equestrian center has been well funded, and has many independent patrons who pay for training as well as boarding, so I believe the financial status is much more stable,” That earned a glare from Samson and Dustin alike. “However, I realize we have one vet for the entire facility. My suggestion would be to either assign a vet per facility or perhaps hire another vet as part of a team to split up the workload. Often times we have to outsource our needs which is more costly in the long run.”

“I think I can manage a second vet, thank you for your input.”

“I dunno what’s goin’ on anywhere else, but my staff hasn’t gotten a raise and costs have increased. Ain’t right. Plus we need a quality inspection, and some of the recommended upgrades.” Samson’s tone turned surly as he regarded her, “We’ve been ignored for a while now, Jayda.”

“I think that is more than reasonable, and something I can certainly see to, and it seems to be a similar issue from what I saw at the other practice pens.”

“We need you to be more of a presence, it is a good start, but you got a long way to go,” Dustin’s voice was firm as he looked at her, but not without kindness. “I don’t know about the bronco riding center, but we need more horses. Work horses. For the ranch and for the chores that require regular upkeep around the bull facility. I know a guy, Clayton Donnell, over in Ohio who has some of the best horses in the area. I could get him to cut us a deal too.

“Is it something we absolutely need?”

“Yes.”

“Then I would love to be able to meet your contact, Dustin.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He gave her an appreciative look, which gave her the confidence she needed, but that wasn’t all.

The way he looked at her, it was like he was looking through her instead of at her. Warmth flooded her body, causing her to blush. He shouldn’t of been able to elicit such a reaction.

“Well ma’am, thank you for the dinner. If that is all, I got a family to get home to,” Samson rose and put on his wide-brimmed black hat, tipping it at her then turning and walking away. “Ain’t got time to sit around here all night talking about this and that.”

“I’m afraid I need to be going as well,” Paul rose just after him and extended a hand to her. “I’m sure working with you will be a pleasure.”

“I think that went pretty well, don’t you?” She asked, relaxing a little bit as she smiled at Dustin.

“Don’t mind Samson, he’s always been a son of a bitch. Your dad thought it was part of his charm.” His hair fell to his shoulders as he pulled the tie out of it. It pulled the air right out of her lungs.

She recovered quickly, “And what about Paul?”

“Equestrian riders and even the barrel racers tend to need a bit more refined spokesman. Paul fits that bill. But he is local, and he came by his talents naturally, not through pedigree.” She nodded as she processed this, any little bit about them helping her to create a strategy. She wasn’t going to quit until she knew the business inside out. And she knew who was laundering the funds.

“How do you know all this?” She bit her lip, trying to hold back the arousal that was building at the mere sound of his voice.

“I pay attention.” Dustin smiled and leaned in towards her.

“What else do you pay attention to?”

She shouldn’t have asked that question and she regretted it from the moment it left her lips.

“You mean the way you’ve been looking at me all night? Or the way your little black dress hugs your curves just right? If you weren’t otherwise spoken for, I would ask you to go dancing.”

She blushed, it wasn’t what she meant, but she couldn’t deny it.

“I don’t know what you mean by being
spoken for
?”

“Daniels.” He gave her a dark glance as he threw his napkin up on the plate he finished.

She swallowed. She told him that she was his, but had she meant permanently? Or in the moment.

“I’m not owned by anyone. Anything more than that is personal, Dustin. I’m not going to discuss it. Besides, we trust each other.”

At least that was all she was going to admit to. Even to herself.

“Are you sure about that? Because he has been eying you all night from the bar.” Dustin pointed over her shoulder in the direction of the bar. She turned and sure enough, he was there, nursing a beer. Narrowing her eyes, she turned back to face Dustin

“I make my own decisions.” Her smile was dangerous as she leaned in closer to him.

“I’m getting that about you.” He matched her smile, his hand reaching up and threading through her hair. “Wanna get out of here?”

She had to make a choice. If she went home with him it would be the end of Luke, she knew it.

“She isn’t going anywhere with you.” Luke’s voice was hard and strong. He was just behind her.

“Why don’t you let the lady answer for herself.” Dustin rose to meet Luke. They were ready to fight, like two bucks during rutting season. Whatever friendship these two had evaporated in that moment.

“Enough. I can certainly speak for myself, thank you, Dustin. I will have to provide you with a rain check for a night when I feel more like dancing.”

Dustin gave her a curt nod and then looked directly at Luke but addressed her, “I will be sure to take you up on that. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to be on my way for the night.”

He grabbed his cowboy hat and put it on his head. Reaching up with his thumb and forefinger, he pulled it down over his face. He walked passed them both, taking the time to reach out and give her hand a squeeze before he continued on, through the door.

Once he was gone Jayda scooped up her purse and coat and hurried out the door, ignoring Luke, refusing to even look at him. He’s done enough.

She burst through the door, her heels hitting the gravel in the parking lot with a crunch. Her heels sunk, causing her to brace just a little. Continuing on, she refused to look behind her to see if he was following along.

When she finally reached her car she heaved a sigh and threw open her car door, throwing her purse in the passenger’s side.

“Jayda,” She turned as soon as she heard his voice.

“What do you want, Luke?” She was tired and she just wanted to go home and get into a bath. Besides, he was not on her list of favorite people at the moment.