“Unless I go back to Master Devin,” she taunted.
Every muscle in his body cramped up from the image that popped into his head of his friend fucking Tam, another unacceptable possibility. “Then I’d best make sure you don’t want to do that.”
Following a light caress over the top of her chest, he slid his hand down and cupped one breast. Small and firm, the plump softness was a perfect fit for his wide palm. The delicate pink nipple beckoned for attention, a lure he found himself powerless to resist. Dipping his head, he licked the turgid tip and felt each nub under his tongue before opening his mouth to take in as much of her soft flesh as possible. Her taste was intoxicating, her breathy moans stimulating and the arch of her body pressing her breast closer irresistible. He cupped her other breast, kneading the cushiony mound as he suckled harder on the treat filling his mouth while laving the nipple over and over. Tam’s cries turned to mewls as she twisted her torso, thrusting her breasts ever closer to his face. With lips and teeth, he drew up on her nipple, elongating the tip before releasing it with a plop and then straightening to gauge her reaction.
Her breathing came in pants that jiggled her breasts as she yanked on the restraints. “Had enough?” he asked with forced politeness, praying she said yes. Instead, she gave a wild, negative shake of her head, sending her cloud of midnight silky hair flying around her shoulders. Left with no choice but to give in for now, he cupped her nape, arching her head back so he could rest his brow on hers as he reached under her skirt. Palming the damp heat between her legs, he wondered how much of the wetness came from the melted ice and how much had dripped from her pussy. Is that why he’d put it there, so he wouldn’t know if the ice play turned her on?
Connor groaned at his stupidity. “Every time I heard you were back visiting, I hoped you would stay, or at least talk to me.” He pressed up against her crotch. “Now that you have, I find myself in the strange position of thinking you were better off in Boise, away from me.”
“How can you say that?” she asked, their mingled breath filling the small space between their faces, the sounds of BDSM play resonating around the loft going unheard.
“How can you push me into something I don’t want to do?” he returned without thinking.
Shit. Connor realized his mistake as Tam stiffened and answered that unintentionally hurtful question with one word. “Red.”
Tamara went cold, remorse and despair replacing the euphoria that had been building since Connor had taken her over so fast it made her head spin. “Let me go,” she demanded, her voice emerging as shaky as her emotions.
He pulled back, his hands reaching to free her wrists, his tone laced with regret as he said, “Tam, I’m…”
Shaking her head, she lowered her arms and pulled up her top. “It’s Tamara. I keep telling you I’m no longer a child and don’t need nicknames, or apologies for being honest with me.” As soon as the cuffs fell away from her ankles, she stepped out of his reach and tried retying her top.
With an impatient brush of his fingers, he shoved hers aside and made short work of securing each side and then snatching her hand before she could avoid his reach again. “We can discuss this later, away from here and all the distractions. Come on, I’ll walk you out.” He surprised her by halting at the bottom of the stairs, gazing down at her with a worried expression and reluctant resignation as he offered, “Unless you’d rather stay and wait for Master Devin.”
Because he did offer, and Tamara could see how much it pained him to do so, she declined. How could she stomach another man’s hands on her when she could still feel Connor’s calloused touch and her body ached with a need she feared only he could assuage? “No, thanks. I’m ready to go.”
Tamara returned from a long vigorous ride the next afternoon to find the horse stalls hadn’t been cleaned or strewn with fresh hay, a chore that should have been done
hours earlier. Lady, her new mare, remained corralled instead of being turned out to pasture to graze, which added to her irritation of waking tired this morning after tossing and turning in frustration all night. She didn’t need this added grief, she thought, dismounting and tethering Galahad. Maybe she would be in a better mood if she’d used her vibrator last night, but she hadn’t wanted a fake phallus, no matter how much pleasure she’d always gotten from it in the past. Now that she’d felt Con’s hands on her, she wanted him more than ever. Damn it.
She reached up and stroked her steed’s sleek neck, murmuring, “Who needs the jerk, right boy? You’re the only guy I need, aren’t you?”
Galahad tossed his head and then butted her shoulder. She laughed and unsaddled him, glad to see Lady trotting over for attention without being coaxed. The little mare had been shy when she’d first brought her home but was slowly warming up to both Tamara and Galahad. The loud rev of a running motor drew her attention as she opened the gate to turn both horses loose in the field. Seeing Neil rolling to a stop by the cattle barn, apparently just now showing up for work, stirred up Tamara’s annoyance as she remembered the stalls that still needed cleaning.
She strode across the yard, working to rein in her temper until she made sure he didn’t have a good reason for missing half a day’s work when he hadn’t completed his three-month probationary period, as was standard for new hires.
“Where have you been?” she asked with a slight edge to her voice.
“Sorry.” Neil sent her a sly grin. “Partied too hard last night. Don’t worry, I’ll get my chores done.”
“That’s not the point, Neil. I can’t put my horses up until the stalls are cleaned, and Lady hasn’t been out to graze all morning.”
“Well, why didn’t you turn her loose?”
Narrowing her eyes, she questioned, “Excuse me? I believe you are assigned to the horse stable, and I have other chores, not to mention…” Tamara halted as Jason and Amy emerged from the barn, Jason’s pleased expression mirroring her stepmother’s until he looked at Neil and frowned. Does everyone have to look so friggin’ happy together? Shrugging off the unfair observation, she kept quiet and let her foreman take over.
“It’s about time. Early afternoon is not a little late.” The reprimand didn’t sit well with Neil if the angry glint in his eyes meant anything.
“Hey, I said I’d be late, not how late. I’ll get to work,” he added hastily when Jason’s frown turned to a glower. He stomped off toward the stable, attitude written in every angry step.
“Are you sure we should keep him?” Tamara didn’t speak lightly of letting someone go, but Neil needed a wake-up call, at the very least.
Jason huffed in frustration. “No, but with the threat of rustlers still active, we can’t be a man short while I look for a replacement. But I can start the ball rolling if you want.”
Tamara shook her head with a sigh, seeing the question about her sour mood in Amy’s eyes. “It’s your call. I guess we can give him more time to settle down. Maybe not a lot more though.”
“That was my thought.” Jason squeezed Amy’s shoulder before stepping back. “I’ll check on him in a little while. Did you find the fencing I thought needed replacing?”
“Yes, and I agree. Go ahead and give me the list of what you need. I’m headed in to order supplies now.”