Cowboy Read online

  I hated that he was still nervous about that, that he was still so guarded around me.

  “I was just thinking about how far away I went Ryder, how badly I wanted to run when I was young. I don’t know why now, I can’t imagine anywhere else I’d rather be than here with you,” I told him, opening up and seeing no reason to guard myself against him at this point. That’s how I felt, and it was natural to share it with the man I loved.

  His face relaxed and he came to me, sweeping me into his arms for a deep kiss.

  “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you again Alex,” he said in a thick voice after we broke apart. I wrapped my arms around him even tighter and buried my face in his neck. I didn’t know what I’d do either and all at once our food was forgotten as he carried me to the couch.

  We were cuddled under Ryder’s covers and talking about old times and the future on Sunday morning when my phone rang. It was Mom so I picked up, certain she’d be curious about my whereabouts.

  “I would just like to know if my daughter will be home for dinner tonight,” Mom said, teasing me. “Or at least for a change of clothes.”

  I laughed and replied, “Okay, I get the hint. Can you set out an extra plate please? Thank you.”

  “Of course dear, is there anything else your poor old mother can get her errant daughter?”

  “No mother darling, we’ll see you at five.”

  Ryder raised an eyebrow when I hit ‘end.’ “Well, they’re having a field day with this,” I said with a laugh. “We’re going there at five for dinner if that’s okay with you.”

  “Of course it is, we can pick up a few of your things so you don’t have to live in my old t-shirts... not that I mind!”

  Warm acceptance washed over my body, I curled myself into his arms and enjoyed the heat of his body against mine and asked, “Are you inviting me to stay another night?”

  “I’m suggesting you stay as long as you want,” he replied, squeezing me tight. “I’m suggesting you might never leave.”

  “I just might take you up on that offer,” I said with a grin, gripping his cock in my hand, rubbing it slowly. I saw lust rise up in his eyes and he rolled my nipple between his thumb and forefinger, making me gasp.

  “It could be beneficial for both of us,” he whispered, his voice low with desire. My body ached from the previous nights of exploration, but I was always up for more where he was concerned.

  I stroked his hard cock again, teasing the head with my fingers and delighting in how ready he was for me, always. He leaned down and nibbled my nipple, gently grasping it in his teeth and sucking lightly. I moaned and arched my back, rolling my hips towards him.

  He ran his hands down my body, pausing on my stomach, then moving further down to my hot, waiting pussy. He slipped his fingers in and parted my cleft, sliding three of them down further to my entrance again. He slipped them in, his hand becoming wet with our mingled juices.

  I ran my hands through his hair and stared at him, watched with him as he fucked me with his fingers. He seemed endlessly fascinated by my body, his lust drove him to increase his rhythm until I was bucking up against him, wanting as much of him as I could take.

  He obliged, his hand moving faster, rubbing my clit with his thumb, and sliding three, sometimes four fingers into my slick heat. I felt myself well up, and thought I would explode with intensity and pleasure so great it bordered on pain.

  I cried out his name and stiffened as the dam broke, I threw back my head as a great gushing sensation set me free. I was covered in sweat, my hair pasted in sticky tendrils on my forehead, and my face felt flushed with the exertion. I lay for a moment, relishing the feel of my pussy flexing around his fingers. He slowly pulled them out, his hand covered, the sheets wet with my pleasure.

  “What happened?” I asked him in something close to horror. Had I wet the bed?

  “I think you came hard Alex, you soaked me and the bed,” Ryder chuckled and looked at me in admiration.

  “I’ve never done that before,” I said, feeling the glow of pleasure and curiosity override the heat of shame. “You made me squirt, that’s a first.”

  “I’m glad,” he said with pride making his chest swell. “I know your body better than anyone else, Alex, remember that.”

  “And I know yours,” I smirked and grabbed his cock and gave it a squeeze.

  Ryder slid up and curled against me, holding me again. He stroked my forehead and brushed away my hair, I caught his hand and slid his fingers into my mouth. I sucked gently and slid my tongue in between them; I could taste myself mixed with him, a cocktail of sex that made me greedy for more.

  “Oh god, you drive me fucking crazy, Alex,” he said, watching me intently. “I can’t get enough of you, your body, your love.”

  I reached down and grabbed his hard cock again, stroking and pulling him up towards my mouth. He straddled me as I lay on my back, his knees on either side of my head. I gagged again as his full length slid down my throat, but I made myself relax and took it all.

  He started to slowly thrust himself into my mouth with more determination, drawing out, and sliding back in, all the time watching my face. His eyes were on fire, he was clearly enjoying every second of this, wanting to make it last. I felt my throbbing pussy heat up again as I worked my throat to grip his length.

  I knew he was getting close so I wrapped my left hand around his balls, massaging them and feeling their tightness. I let out a whimper; I wanted to swallow his cum, to taste him. I needed to have him lose himself in my mouth.

  He closed his eyes and put both hands on the headboard without breaking rhythm. I grabbed his ass with my right hand and felt his muscles contract with the effort of pushing; it was such a turn on, feeling his body work like a machine.

  He tensed up and whispered my name as his cock twitched and released his load. I could taste the salty acidity of it and swallowed it down, satisfied.

  He pulled back slowly, allowing me to swirl my tongue around his shrinking manhood. I flicked his slit with my tongue and licked him as he slowly withdrew, groaning with lust each time I touched him.

  He moved down and curled around me again, his arms encircling me in the warmth of his love.

  “You drive me so crazy Alex, you always have,” he said in a satisfied tone.

  “Whatever made you ask me out, all those years ago?” I asked, suddenly curious as to what had drawn him to me in the first place.

  “I was coming over to ask your friend Lee to the dance, but you got confused and I felt so bad, I had to take you,” he said with a smile in his voice.

  “What?” I yelled, turned around and punched him in the arm playfully. “You lie!” I said with a laugh.

  “Yeah, I lie,” he whispered as I settled back down into his arms. “You were always so beautiful, but I never felt like I could ask you out because you seemed out of my league. That day I’d won the steer-dogging event against all odds. I was the long shot and had no chance. It was about my third time competing, and my horse was green, but everything lined up for me that day. I thought hey, if I can leap off my horse and wrestle a running steer to the ground, I could ask the prettiest girl in school to the dance.”

  “I highly doubt I was the prettiest, and you didn’t have much competition.” I laughed but warmth bloomed in my chest at the thought of him looking at me like that, wanting me.

  “That’s what’s so amazing about you,” he said, running his hand through my hair. “You are so gorgeous, and you don’t even know it.”

  When he said it, I felt it and I knew I was beautiful. I was beautiful to him and that’s all that mattered. I turned my head towards him for a kiss, and he was there.

  The minute Mom opened the door I knew this was going to be a night of teasing and Mom giggling like a schoolgirl.

  “Alex, and her plus-one,” Mom said and looked at Ryder approvingly, barely able to contain her smug satisfaction.

  We went into the kitchen where Mom had prepared a feast fit for a ho
liday. She was showing off.

  “Mom, you didn’t need to go through all this trouble,” I said. “This is too much.”

  “No trouble at all dear, you know I love to cook. Would you like to head upstairs and change your clothes before dinner? Your father’s out at the barn, he’ll be a few minutes,” Mom replied and gave me a knowing look.

  Grateful for the brief reprieve, I dashed upstairs, leaving Ryder to entertain my mother. I felt slightly guilty but knew he would enjoy the conversation.

  It was funny, my room suddenly looked small and cramped after spending the weekend in Ryder’s expansive house. I sat on the bed and remembered myself fantasizing about him in this very spot not that long ago. It was amazing how life turned around when you least expected it.

  I wasn’t sure what to take to Ryder’s place. I didn’t want to completely move in with him, it felt too soon for that, but I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. I ended up packing a few changes of clothes, my makeup, hair care products and toothbrush. That should do it... I thought it sent a good message, “Hey I love you and want to be here, but I’m not rushing things.”

  After packing, I sat back down and took a moment to evaluate my emotions. I was so deeply in love with Ryder again that it actually scared me. I knew everyone cautioned against falling for a man too fast, but did this really count? I knew him so well already; it wasn’t like we were falling for entirely new people.

  Mom had warned me about the man he had supposedly become, but I had already been with him, already knew who he was, and I felt like I was getting a second chance after breaking his heart. When I was honest with myself, I realized that I had never really enjoyed my time away; there was a part of me that had been pining for Ryder the entire time I lived in the city.

  Still, it did feel so fast. After a few moments of consideration I decided to fuck it, it was well worth the chance. I was going to dive in headfirst and enjoy whatever life had to offer us.

  Ryder and Mom were fully engaged in conversation when I walked in, set my bag down and sat at the table with them. I watched Ryder’s face as he talked; he looked relaxed and so happy again. The stress and sadness were gone; the fine lines at the corners of his eyes and along the edges of his mouth were relaxed. I was overwhelmed for a moment, letting love and pride wash over me. I felt tears sting the back of my eyes as I realized I had earned back the love and trust of a man as great as Ryder.

  Just then, my father came through the front door and left his boots on as he stomped into the kitchen frantically.

  “Daniel! What are you doing? I just washed the floors!” Mom cried out.

  “There’s no time Rita! Ryder, I need you, it’s Rio, I think she’s colicked real bad,” Dad bellowed.

  Ryder leapt up, grabbed his jacket, pulled on his boots and ran out the door with Dad. I ran to get my pair of boots and followed a moment later.

  I got the barn and could hear the two men talking loudly. Rio was in one of the big box stalls at the front and I could hear her groaning and grunting. I rushed in and saw Ryder and Dad crouched over Rio who was lying on her side, legs flailing, eyes glassy and mouth foaming.

  I dropped down to hold Rio’s head and exclaimed, “Oh my God Ryder, we have to do something! She’s going to die!” I started sobbing and petting Rio’s neck with shaking hands.

  “We have to get her up, on her feet. Come on, help me get her up.” Ryder grabbed Rio by the halter and pulled. I jumped up and helped him, but the horse wouldn’t budge.

  “This is a matter of life or death, we need her on her feet,” Ryder commanded and went behind the horse where he starting yelling at her and slapping her ass.

  Rio was groaning and grunting even louder now, deep painful moans as she struggled to her feet. I tugged at her halter and felt Dad rush past me to help Ryder push her to help her. Once on her feet, Rio shook and shuddered and tried to lie back down.

  “Keep her moving Alex. Help her walk the horse,” he told us. “I’ve got to grab some things from my truck.”

  Ryder ran out of the barn and I dragged Rio along, the mare grunting with each step, her sides wet with sweat.

  “How did this happen?” I asked Dad who was walking beside me.

  “I think she got into the grain somehow. When I came out, the door was wide open and the horses were all in here. I wasn’t sure which one had eaten too much, so I put them all inside to keep an eye on them.”

  “So Rio is the only colicky one?” I asked as we led my mare up and down the breezeway of the barn.

  “I guess she just loves her grain Alex, and doesn’t know when to stop.”

  “How did they get in here though? And how was the grain room left open?” I demanded. It made no sense to me.

  “I don’t know Alex, but I do know I didn’t do it. Maybe some neighborhood kids thought they’d poke around a little and left things open.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” I replied but I couldn’t help feel guilty over it, as though it had been my fault somehow. Maybe if I hadn’t been so busy fucking Ryder all weekend, my horse wouldn’t be on the brink of death.

  Ryder returned as I was walking Rio up and down the breezeway with more ease now, the old mare was less resistant.

  “Dad said she got into the grain,” I told him as we approached. He put his hand on my arm, indicating for me to stop.

  “Okay, that’s what I was hoping. Hang on to her now, I’m going to give her a shot of painkiller.” Ryder pulled out a syringe, adjusted the level, and plunged it into the big horse’s hind end. “This should take about 15 minutes to kick in, let’s try and get her full of mineral oil before then.”

  Ryder pulled out a jug of oil and a long hose with a funnel attached to one end. “I’ll need you to hang on to her head Alex, don’t let her thrash around, this is going down her throat.”

  “Thank God you’re here Ryder, I don’t know what would have happened if we hadn’t caught this in time,” Dad said and I realized his blustery reaction was simply hiding his own guilt. I softened towards him, grateful that he’d found Rio in time for us to fix it.

  “I’m glad to be here too, I don’t want to think about Alex losing this horse,” Ryder said and started sliding the hose down Rio’s throat as the big horse pulled back. Dad grabbed the other side of the halter and helped me hold her in place.

  Ryder poured the entire bottle into the funnel, holding it up so it all reached the horse’s stomach directly.

  “That should act as a laxative and push the feed through her system,” Ryder said. “The danger is when it gets blocked, that’s what caused the stomach ache and made her drop to the floor like that. If she was left down and writhing around, she could have twisted her intestine and then who knows if we could have saved her.

  “Thank you Ryder, thank you so much,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face.

  “Why don’t you go back in the house and let Rita know what’s going on,” Ryder suggested to Dad. “We can handle it from here.”

  Dad thanked Ryder again and hurried off to the house. Ryder looked at me and asked, “How did Rio get into the grain?”

  “That’s what’s so weird about it. Dad keeps the horses outside in the pasture right now, and the grain is kept inside the barn here. Dad said they were all out, and the grain room door was wide open. He thinks it might have been some neighborhood kids poking around.”

  “It is weird,” Ryder said with a strange look in his eye.

  “What do you think could have happened?”

  “I don’t know Alex, I’ll let you know if I can come up with anything. Now let’s keep her walking.”

  We took turns leading the mare for the next few hours. At some point Mom brought out dinner and we ate it while moving back and forth with Rio. When she seemed settled down, Ryder suggested we put her back in her stall and watch her for a little while.

  We stood together, leaning on the stall door and I felt immense relief, it looked like Rio was going to make it. Ryder ran his hands up and down
my back, massaging my shoulders lightly as I let my tears flow at last.

  When I was done, I turned to him and said, “Thank you again Ryder, I don’t know what I would have done if I lost Rio, I don’t even want to think about it.”

  Ryder pulled me into his arms and held me close. I melted against him, wondering to myself how often I found myself seeking comfort in his arms these days, and how amazing it felt to be safe with him.

  We spent the rest of the night in the barn. Mom brought out blankets and we settled down on some hay bales, taking turns sleeping so we could keep checking on Rio.

  Ryder ended up letting me sleep in his arms most of the night, and by the morning Rio was back to normal and I loved him just that much more.

  Ryder

  I’d gone into full vet mode the moment I realized Rio was colicking badly. I wasn’t going to watch Alex lose her beloved horse if I could help it. I was grateful for Alex’s father and his quick actions, time was of the essence when it came to these big animals; an hour or two delay could mean death.

  I ran to my truck, thankful that I had all his equipment in the back; I grabbed my medicine bag, hose, funnel and jug of mineral oil. It was early enough that I believed I could treat it with a painkiller and a laxative, and avoid risky surgery.

  We all worked together to keep the mare on her feet and moving around. The painkiller worked quickly, and the oil seemed to do the trick within an hour or so. The mare stopped grunting and swinging her head, her sweat dried up and she visibly relaxed.

  At this point my major concern was how this could have happened. I knew Alex’s dad was a conscientious farmer, careful with all his animals and I also didn’t think anyone in the neighborhood would have snuck in to let the horse into the grain, and I thought it strange that Rio was the only horse that was given access to the rich feed.

  I actually suspected Brittany, but hadn’t heard if she was back in town. She could have seen us together Thursday night and known we spent the weekend at my place. Brittany wasn’t the type to let go of me easily, even though she had walked away.