Something silver caught her attention near the corner of a post. She frowned, sat up, and then stood on the bed to reach it. It looked as though a piece of shiny metal was tucked into the black material of the canopy. As her fingers brushed the cool metal it slid toward her and she gasped as the entire thing fell out and clanked against the bedpost to which it was anchored.
Handcuffs hung from a chain. She had to close her mouth, which had dropped open. The handcuff almost reached the mattress. The chain must be locked in place somewhere above the canopy, out of sight. She moved, walking on the bed to another corner, and reached up to feel in the folds. She felt metal. She moved the material a little and another handcuff fell out to hang by another thin chain.
“Oh my God!” She laughed.
She turned, walked to another post, and examined the corner. She found another hidden in the folds, but didn’t mess with that one, just left it alone and walked to the last of the four posts. She reached up, this time not surprised to feel what she found hidden there. The guy had handcuffs and chains on each corner of his bed.
She managed to get the two fallen handcuffs and roll the chains up and place each back in their hiding places. This brother had a fetish for kinky shit to have that stuff attached to his bed. She was curious, wondering what else he was into. She got off the bed and then hesitated before dropping to her knees. She lifted the tailored bed skirt and peered underneath. She saw a duffel-size bag under there and reached for it.
It was heavy as she dragged it out slowly. She got it flat and found the zipper, eased it open enough to see handcuffs, a few whips, some things she couldn’t even identify with Velcro and straps, and another smaller bag that she unzipped. Sex toys, still sealed in their wrappers and boxes, but each was clearly marked. Nipple rings, a cock clamp, and various vibrators in different sizes and shapes.
She sat there on the floor with the toys spread out around her and laughed. She laughed hard until her sides hurt. The guy was one kinky cowboy. She put it all back carefully and shoved the bag back in place.
“And I thought I was bad for keeping romance novels stashed under my mattress as a kid,” she whispered.
She laughed again as she got to her feet, shaking her head in amusement. She hoped the kid’s parents never found that shit. Maybe that had been the reason he didn’t come home anymore. If her parents had found that kind of stuff under her bed she could never face them again.
She turned off the light and climbed back up on the big bed. Pushing back the covers she found another surprise awaited her. Kinky Cowboy brother liked silky sheets. They were the good kind too—thick, expensive, and cool to the skin. She grinned as she slid between them. She’d always wanted a set of these sheets but had never dared buy them. She hesitated and then removed her jersey, placing it on the bed next to her, then lay down and pulled up the sheets.
She wiggled her naked body against the wonderful silky sheets. It was a great feeling to have her bare skin against them, even better than she’d imagined. Her eyes closed as she stifled a yawn. She was worn out and hadn’t slept well the night before after her encounter with the motor-home guy. She’d let a stranger fuck her, and worse, she’d enjoyed it. She could see River Wind’s face in her mind and she hated that the memory of him turned her on as her body responded.
“Damn,” she sighed, turning on her side.
She forced herself to think about anything but the guy who’d rocked her world. Eventually her body relaxed. She appreciated the incredibly comfortable mattress and the sheets were pure heaven against her skin. She yawned and finally drifted off to sleep.
* * * * *
She was disorientated when light in the bedroom woke her. She lay on her stomach and her leg brushed something soft when she moved it—silk slid against her thigh. She lay in a strange bedroom. Memory returned as she awoke more. Is it morning already?
“Damn,” a male voice almost growled. “Are you and Navarro fighting? Damn it, Trina. If I didn’t know that Navarro would kick my ass and castrate me I’d climb in there with you and show you what I do to women I find in my bed. Get up, sweetie, and get back into bed with your husband.”
Brit tensed, her eyes opening wide. That voice was real and he thought he spoke to Trina. They both were about the same size, with blonde, curly hair. She swallowed, afraid to lift her head to look at whoever shared space in the bedroom with her.
“Come on, pregnant mama. Get your cute ass out of my bed. I’m tired and I’ve been on the road far too long. If you don’t get up, I’m coming in there with you, Navarro be damned. I won’t touch you but he might not believe me if he wakes up in the morning and finds us in bed together.”
Something about that voice… She frowned and then lifted her head and had to blink a few times to adjust to the bright overhead lights. She glanced at the bedside clock, saw it was three in the morning, and then turned her head toward the door.
Shock paralyzed her as she stared at a face she thought she’d never see again. A pair of equally shocked dark brown eyes stared back at her.
“You!” River Wind hissed.
Her mouth dropped open. “River?”
He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank top. His black hair had been pulled back into a ponytail but she had no doubt it was River Wind. Her mind went totally blank as she started into his stunned features, which probably mirrored her own. He blinked.
“What are you doing in my bed? What the hell are you doing in my home, Fuck And Run?”
She turned over and nearly lost the covers, barely remembering her nakedness. She grabbed at them but not before she probably flashed him a bare breast when she sat upright, gawking at him.
“Your home?”
He took a deep breath and then another one. “Yeah. This is my family home. What the hell are you doing here?”
“Did you call me Fuck And Run?”
“Yeah. It’s what you did.” He frowned. “I’m waiting to hear what the hell you’re doing here.”
“This is the Raine ranch.”
“My real last name is Raine but I use my mother’s name while I’m working. My older brother was famous and I wanted to make a name for myself on the rodeo circuit so I didn’t want to be associated with him.” He took a step toward the bed and then stopped. “Now tell me what you’re doing in my house and in my bed.”
“Dale sent me here.”
They stared at each other for a long minute. She looked away from him to see a backpack on the floor by the closed bedroom door. He lived here, his real last name had to really be Raine, and she sat on his bed. Stunned didn’t begin to cover her emotions.
“That fucking Dale,” River finally cursed. “When I called him he told me I needed to get my ass home pronto. That bastard set me up.”
“You? What about me? Did you tell him what happened between us?”
He frowned. “Hell no. Did you? Is that why he sent you to me? I’m not rich so if you’re a buckle bunny, forget it.”
Furious, she said, “You think I came here knowing this house belonged to you? You conceited bastard. I thought your last name was Wind. I wouldn’t be here if Dale had said I was going to be visiting a family by the name of Wind. I had no idea—none—that you were associated with the Raine family.”
“Then who is hurt? Who is your patient?” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Nobody. I needed to get out of town for a while and Dale said he knew a family that could put me up so he sent me here to help them around their ranch. I know a little about horses.”
Dark brown eyes narrowed dangerously and his lips twisted into a harsh frown. “So you say you’re a physical therapist but you’re here without a job? Are you a therapist or a horse wrangler? Make up your mind.”
“What I am is out of here.” She scooted to the edge of the bed and then realized she was naked, baring a leg first as she attempted to slide off the bed. “Fuck!” She froze, clutching at the covers, and turned to grab her jersey. It wasn’t where she’d lef
t it so her gaze scanned the bed frantically but she didn’t find it. “Where the hell did you put my shirt?” Her head snapped around to shoot a glare at River.
“Me?” His black eyebrows shot up. “I just walked into my own room. I didn’t touch your shirt.”
Biting back another curse, she looked at the bed again—her shirt was not on it—then gritted her teeth. She took a deep breath before turning to face the man she’d hoped to never see again. He watched her, his arms still crossed over his chest.
“Could you please turn around and leave so I can get dressed? Give me a few minutes and I’ll pack up my stuff and get out of your room. I’ll leave the ranch while I’m at it. If I’d known this family belonged to you then there’s no way in hell I’d be here. As for your ‘buckle bunny’ accusation, I know what they are and I think you rodeo guys are idiots, remember? I sure wouldn’t want to chase you.”
He didn’t budge, instead his lips curved upward. “Sorry about that comment but I’m tired. I haven’t been in the best of moods and I am surprised to find you in my room.” He paused. “You pissed me off when you cut and run on me. You still owe me a massage and you are in my bed.”
Her mouth dropped open as River toed off his boot, his hands going for his waist to lift up his shirt to show her his muscled, tan stomach as the material rose higher. He totally jerked the tank top over his head and tossed it to the floor as he removed his other boot. His socks followed.
“You did come all this way for a repeat and you did fuck and run on me so who am I to say no to you?”
“Are you kidding me? You think—”
“You followed me here knowing I’d agreed to go home, got here before I did, and helped yourself to my bed.” He chuckled. “And here I thought coming to the ranch would be as boring as hell.”
With a sense of disbelief, Brit watched the man unzip his jeans. If he thought she’d repeat her crazy behavior, he had a serious reality check coming his way. She refused to look down as he shimmied out of his pants, keeping her gaze locked with his.
Though she tried not to, Brit glanced down his body…and verified his nakedness. What a body he had. He looked just as good as she remembered, maybe even better, and his lower half was definitely “up” to climbing into bed with her.
She became momentarily distracted by a very thick, large, erect cock that pointed straight out toward her, a lot of tan, muscular flesh, and the kind of abs that made her want to lick them. Brit pulled her attention away from his body and glared into his face.
“If you try to climb into bed with me, I’ll castrate you.”
River grinned at her. “You could try, Fuck And Run.”
“Stop calling me that!”
“You fucked and ran.” He chuckled. “If the name fits…” He chuckled again, slowly inching toward the bed.
“I’ll scream.”
White teeth flashed. “I’m kind of betting on that since, if you don’t, I should be ashamed of myself. I love hearing you howl out in pleasure, baby.”
Panic hit as he closed the distance between them, slowly stalking toward her with a panther’s grace. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind to try to halt his progress. She knew if he put his hands and mouth on her, she would be a goner. She didn’t want to repeat having a one-night stand—though it had technically been daytime—with a stranger. She’d been out of her mind the day before and she wasn’t going to ever make that mistake again.
“I’m not on the Pill and you don’t have condoms.”
His dark gaze narrowed. “I mean it, Fuck And Run. You flee this time and I’ll chase you down now that I know you’re a rabbit. There are always condoms in the house. I’ll be right back.”
She swallowed and forced a nod. He turned, butt-ass naked, and what a nice ass it was too, scar and all, on that firm, rounded ass cheek. She watched him leave. He seemed not to care if he did run into Trina without his clothes on as he closed the door behind him.
Brit moved fast, shoving off the covers, and ran around the bed. Her jersey had slid off the other side of the bed to the floor. She bent to jerk it over her head and then ran for the bedroom door. She knew damn well it had a lock since she’d seen it earlier but hadn’t bothered to use it since she was alone in the house with just another woman. With a grin she, turned the lock and slid the extra bolt that had been installed on the door.
She fought a laugh as, half a minute later the doorknob turned, but the lock held. It jiggled again but didn’t budge. River softly cursed from the other side of the door.
“Let me in, damn it. I’m naked out here.”
“No way in hell. You can huff and puff but that’s one solid door. That’s the great thing about these old houses.” She tapped on it to be sure, relieved at the solid-wood sound. “Real thick doors.”
“Damn it, open it up now. This isn’t funny. You have my clothes in there.” He jiggled the handle again. “Let me in, woman.”
Hurt washed through her. “You don’t remember my name, do you? That’s why you keep calling me Fuck And Run, baby, and now woman.”
“I remember it.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door. “I’ll tell you what, River. You say my name and I’ll unlock the door. Hell, I’ll get on my knees and blow you for real this time. What’s my name?”
“Son of a bitch,” he growled. “Okay, you got me. I don’t remember it but let me in to get my clothes at least.”
“Good night, River.”
She closed her eyes, keeping her back to the door. On the other side she heard him ground out a string of curses. She worried he’d try to kick the door in but then she heard something that made her eyes fly open.
“Hello? Nav? Is that you? Are you home?” Trina’s voice drew closer.
“Son of a bitch,” River cursed. “Fuck.”
She heard bare feet pound as he ran, probably into one of his brother’s rooms to find clothes.
Chapter Four
The son of a bitch didn’t remember her name. Brit fumed while she showered early the next morning, washing her body a little too roughly but not caring. Did he sleep with so many women that he couldn’t remember one name? It burned that it had to be hers he couldn’t remember, though she’d just had sex with him the day before last.
He hadn’t returned to try to get into his room last night because Trina had come looking and she’d heard him yelling at her to not come into Dusty’s bedroom. That’s where he’d fled to, probably to steal his brother’s clothes. In minutes he’d met Trina in the hallway and Brit had listened to them chat for a few minutes. Trina seemed happy to have him home then they’d walked away to go to the kitchen for a middle-of-the-night snack.
The shower door was suddenly yanked open, the smoky-black, frosted-glass door creaking on its hinges, and it startled Brit so bad that she nearly fell. She spun around to face whoever had picked the bathroom lock to get inside.
River wore jeans and nothing else. His hair fell wet, just past his shoulders and he grinned down at her, letting his gaze take in every wet inch of her exposed body. She gasped, grabbed her breasts in her hands, and twisted her body sideways, lifting her leg a little to try to hide.
“Morning, Brit, darlin’.” He winked. “You enjoy that there shower while I’m busy removing the locks on my bedroom door? Oh yeah,” he chuckled, bringing up his hand from behind his back, shaking her key ring. “Try to leave without a car. You can have these back just as soon as I nail you.” His sexy dark eyes sparkled with amusement as his gaze lowered. “And it will be soon.”
“You son of a bitch, give me my keys right now.” She couldn’t lunge for them without letting go of her breasts.
He spun around, used his bare foot to close the shower door, and in seconds she heard the bathroom door slam as he left the room. Rage hit her hard. The bastard had her car keys and had thrown down the gauntlet to her while taunting her with them. She had to fight the urge to scream and punch the tile wall as she finished rinsin
g out the hair conditioner super fast. In minutes she dried off and dressed, then stormed out of the bathroom. She decided she might have to kill the bastard, take her keys, and leave right after saying goodbye to Trina, just the way she’d planned to do after discovering it was River’s home.
He wasn’t in the bedroom. She checked the doorknob first and sure enough, it had been replaced with one without a lock and the bolt had been removed, leaving two holes in the place where it had been, just mocking her.
She wanted to scream, stomp on the floor, and hit something. Instead she jerked the door open and headed down the hallway barefoot, in search of the bastard. She didn’t care if they ended up having this fight in front of Trina but she figured he’d retreated downstairs to use his poor sister-in-law as a shield, mistakenly assuming that Brit wouldn’t cause a scene. He’d discover his error real soon.
The smell of bacon, eggs, and biscuits greeted her on the stairs. It made Brit’s stomach growl from hunger, though she was madder than hell. She followed her nose and headed for the kitchen, guessing that’s where the asshole would be waiting for her. As she walked into the room she saw him standing in front of the fridge, bent over a little, peering inside. He’d put on a black tank top but was still barefoot. He’d taken the time to pull his wet hair into a ponytail that trailed midway down his back.
Trina was at the stove cooking but Brit ignored her. She moved straight for her target. When she stopped behind him she reached out and tapped him hard on his slightly bent back. As he rose she figured he’d smirk at her or something but when he turned around, he just stared down at her with raised eyebrows.
“Hi.”
Rage boiled through her as she glared up at the tall bastard. Hi? That is all he has to say for himself? He wore an earring of a guitar on his left ear now and she frowned, not remembering ever noticing that he had a pierced ear. She turned her gaze from it to glare down at the front of his jeans pockets.