Cowboy Got Me Shook (BWWM Romance) (3 page)

“Look at the cows!”

She waved at them. It always struck him odd how people got nuts over the cattle. It was nothing out of the ordinary to him.

“They’re so cute.”

“Hmm.” Grant waited for her to finish.

“You done?”

She hopped off. “Yeah, you’re no fun. I like the cows.”

“That’s great, but we’ve got work to do. You want to help the pretty cows? Grab the cart and head off over there.”

Grant pointed far away into the distance. She looked out, but was blinded by the sun. “Where?”

“Follow the fence. It goes on a ways. You’ll find there’s a part of the fence that needs tending to. A storm knocked some of it over.”

“You sure?”

“Positive,” he said, and he shoved the cart handle in her hand. She snatched it, almost falling over.

“Hey, this is heavy. How heavy is this thing?”

“You can handle it. There’s all the tools you’ll need. Come back to me when you’re done.”

She grit her teeth. Grant waited for the inevitable retaliation. She would fight one more time, but he readied himself to shut her down.

“Why don’t you do it?”

“Because I have other work to do,” he said, and then Grant turned his back to her. He headed to the barn. “Remember what I said. You won’t be allowed in another club in Philly. Think of it like helping the cute cows. Find me when you’re done.”

“Stupid cows,” she said, and then Grant smirked as he heard the cart’s wheels churn the mud.

Angel wiped the sweat from her eyes. She couldn’t remember the last time she sweat so much. It wasn’t much compared to Grant, who she caught sight of far off, the front of his shirt a thick blotch from all the work.
To think I actually thought he was sexy at first, now I just think he’s an ass.

She forced the last of the boards against the fence. There was only a small crack left and she sealed it by hammering in three nails.

The nails were longer than any she had ever seen. Industrial sized. Everything rough, and everything so gigantic. She could barely wield the hammer. As she shook the board, making sure it was in place, she cursed her mother who got her into this mess.

She didn’t deserve this. She wanted to live her life how she wanted to live it. Maybe it was different than what her mother wanted for her, but it was Angel’s life, and she only had one. Angel wanted to live it up while she was young. Honestly, they were making a big deal out of nothing.

It would only be another hour of work then she could sneak off to Shanice’s. Angel knew she was a pain in the ass to the ranch hand, but she needed to be. She needed to let him know she wasn’t going to listen to all his orders. Boundaries were important.

She was surprised at how fast he put her in place. It was either attractive or annoying, she couldn’t make up her mind, no one else had been able to do it. Angel pulled the cart, grunting as she dragged it with what little strength she had left.

Their next meeting would go quite differently. Angel thought for sure he would let her go after she showed him the great work she did on the fence.

It took longer than she thought for her to pull the cart to Grant. Looking gallant, like a true cowboy, he rode over to her on his horse, hopping off, and then tying it to the post. It was a magnificent, awe inspiring creature, its body lean and powerful.

“How’d it go?”

“Fence is done like you asked.”

Angel expected Grant to inspect it. She expected him to not believe her, but to her surprise, he simply nodded and stretched out those long, sinewy arms.

“Come inside for some water. I bet you could use it.”

Maybe he wasn’t quite as big an asshole as she thought. Angel started her speech about how she needed to leave to go to her friend’s, but then never brought it up, instead she chose to get the glass of water, something desperately needed.

Grant held the door open to his house. She said thanks and took a seat at his table. He threw off his bandanna and his vest, stretching once again. Angel watched his ripped muscles tense then relax.

“Water,” he remembered. Was he senile already? He really wasn’t that old. He looked far older in the club due to the contrast in ages.

He poured her a glass then slid it to her. The cold glass touching her lips felt incredible. She sank into the chair, letting the coolness wash over her.

Grant did the same, except he gulped his down, already going for another.

She sipped on hers, cautiously watching Grant, wondering what he would do next. After she was done with her water, she would say goodbye, cutting off any chance for him to throw more work at her. It was already getting late. She didn’t want to arrive after their pregame for the party.

“You did well. Bumpy start at first, but you did well.”

“Thanks.”

“You ready for a meal now?”

No, Angel needed to leave. He was already fixing to get her re-energized so she could do more work.

“No, thanks though. I need to get going. My friend, Shanice is having a party, and I’m already going to be late.”

Angel pushed her chair out. She noticed Grant’s sharp eyes turn hazy, clouded, like a dark day before the storm.

“Wait,” he said. She waited, half seated and half standing.

“Yeah?”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“What do you mean? I’m leaving.”

Grant raised, jumping from his seat, almost knocking it over. It wobbled, falling back into place. She didn’t know how it didn’t go crashing into the wall.

“Sit back down.”

Who did he think he was? He didn’t own her. She wasn’t his possession. Angel gripped her hands tight, which turned to fists, bundled and ready. If he put his hands on her, she would fight back.

“I’m not. I’m leaving.”

She headed for the door. Grant raced around her. Before she knew it, his hand slammed against the door, barring it.

“What the fuck is your problem?”

He sneered. Angel slammed her back against the door. She waited to use her knuckles on his leering face. Everything else was a blur, but his nose stood out in her mind, Angel readied herself to pummel it if he thought about grabbing her.

Then Grant leaned back. He withdrew his sneer. A slick smirk took its place. “Your mother didn’t tell you, did she?”

“No idea what you’re talking about.”

Angel didn’t have time for this. He shifted, studying her. Come on, old man, out with it.

“Tiana wants you to stay here. No sleeping on stranger’s couches, or going to wild parties. I have an extra bedroom. You’ll be sleeping there for the week.”

“What the...no way.” Angel tried for the door again. Grant’s hand was a blur, catching the door knob before she could reach it.

“I’m not staying here. No matter what my mom said, I’m not. Now get out of my way. I’m a grown ass woman.”

“No,” he said.

“Fucking move.”

Grant leaned closer again. Even at her angriest, he didn’t seem alarmed. It was probably because he was a two hundred pound cowboy, all muscle, chiseled out of pain staking hard work. How could she force him out of the way? Angel wished she didn’t even curse at him as he grew closer.

As his lips came close to hers, Angel had the urge to reach out and kiss him. That would calm him down. Her mind struggled with whether she should sink her teeth in or roll her tongue over his.

“Get away from that door. Go and sit down. I didn’t make the rules, but you’re going to play by them.”

“I can’t believe this.”

Angel didn’t want to hear Grant threaten her again, so she hung her head, flopping onto the chair. He groaned, taking his seat across from her.

“Now we’re going to have a good meal. You probably worked up an appetite out there. Forget about your friends. You’re not seeing them tonight.”

“I can’t fucking believe this,” she said under her breath. No doubt the cowboy’s keen senses picked up every word.

Confused, and unsure, Grant pushed onto his knees from the grass, surveying the area. His ranch. That was a welcome sight at least. His vision was blurred, however, and the sky was painted permanently, the clouds not inching from the glowing arrival of dusk.

Grant circled himself. He scratched his head, something he did when he was nervous, and the fact that he knew he was doing it, and knew that he was nervous, only made it worse. He tried to speak, but found himself unable to.

The grass swayed despite their being no wind. Everything had a hazy, unnatural feel to it.

That’s when Grant decided he must be dreaming.

Except that shouldn’t be right. Grant never dreamed, instead he put his head to the pillow, went unconscious, and woke up the next day. He had too much work to bother with dreams.

It was the realest dream he ever had, and Grant even knew that while he was inside it.

He heard a low noise, and at first, he thought it was one of his calves. But they should have been fenced in, not in the barn, which is where the sound came from. Grant figured that dreams didn’t have to make sense, and he sauntered to the barn doors, listening to the noise get louder.

It echoed off the walls. Whatever it was, it sounded human. He pressed his ear against the wood, hoping that he could distinguish what it was so he didn’t put himself in harm’s way by opening the door.

It sounded meek, at first. Then Grant heard a squeal. A girlish squeal.

Whatever was behind the door, he needed to find out. It was his ranch, and if there was any trouble on it, he would have to take care of it. Throwing open the door, he rushed through, then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what waited for him.

There was Angel, arms bound above her, naked, covered with leather straps, criss crossing over her body. The rope binding her hung all the way from the center support beam.

His eyes fell to the contraption on her chest exposing her nipples, clear suckers over them like the type he used to milk the cows. She moaned, biting hard on a ball gag in her mouth.

Grant hurried over and unlocked the gag after a moment of struggle. She gasped, flung her hair back, and then steadied her weary eyes on his.

“You’re back,” she said with a smile.

Why was she smiling? Frantic, he looked above, wondering how he was going to untie her. He would need a knife. Whoever tied the rope knew what they were doing.

“Who did this?”

Angel swung. She used her momentum to wrap her legs around Grant’s waist. She pressed in closer. Her lips darted for his. He pulled back.

“What’s wrong?”

“Who did this?”

She laughed. “You did. Now are you going to finish what you started or what?”

Grant tried to pull away, but her hold on his waist was too tight. He felt like he was sinking in quicksand.

It made no sense, but then again, it did look like a knot he would tie. And it was all his equipment that she was strapped to. There was no better suspect.

Grant wanted to say he should have never done it, but he found himself studying her. She looked beautiful. She was suspended like art, the straps criss crossing like strokes on a canvas. He wanted to see more, to explore the rest of her hiding from him.

A long time ago, he had done similar things as this, back when he ruled the club world. They said he didn’t have any vices, but they were wrong. His only vice was domination. He loved to dominate sweet girls like Angel, fucking them until they came their brains out.

It had never gotten him in trouble, except maybe until now.

“Come on,” she begged.

Grant shook his head. A coldness crossed from his toes to his fingers like instant frostbite. Then he woke, still admiring the form of her submission as consciousness settled in.

Angel crept to the double window. It was midnight and she hadn’t heard the cowboy rustle for a good hour or so. His boots clattered down the hallway leading to his bedroom. If he wasn’t asleep by now, Angel would never escape.

She slowly pushed it open. The moonlight shone in through the room, and it was so strong and exposed in the fields that she hoped the light didn’t alarm Grant. She took one last look behind her, then dropped over the wide window and onto the grass.

Angel wondered what he would think when he opened the door in the morning to find she wasn’t there.

But she didn’t care. It wasn’t right for him to hold her hostage, and Angel always did what she thought right, no matter the consequences. Besides, after an exhausting day on the farm, she craved a drink and some dancing. The moonlight guided her way. It wasn’t far to her car. She could pass through the clearing of trees leading right out to where she parked on the side of the rocky road. As Angel neared them, ready to rush into the darkness of the treetops, she knew she was free.

Seeing the shimmer of her car, caught by a glance of moon light, she hopped around twisting roots, somehow finding her way out of pure desperation. Her adrenaline kicked in. All of the energy she kept on reserve while sneaking let loose.