Page 236 of Double Daddies
Long, dark-brown hair verging on black, twisted into a tidy braid that hung over her shoulder. A pair of the biggest, brownest eyes he’d ever seen set in a heart-shaped face with exquisite cheekbones and a jawline that was made for a man’s hand to cradle.
She wore a cream-colored blouse with small, delicate buttons that would take a man’s full attention and patience to undo without simply ripping it off her. The fabric clung to her breasts—full, heavy breasts that would fit his hands perfectly, he was sure.
Her pants were a softer shade of her hair color, highlighting the lovely curves of her hips and thighs. The material ended atthe bottom of shapely calves, giving way to a pair of sedately heeled brown suede boots.
Short in stature but apparently not in brains, she was an appealing prospect.
“So,” he asked, setting the cart into motion and heading back the way he’d arrived, “are you new to Denver or a lifer?”
She glanced at him. “Born and raised in the Mile High City. You?”
“Recent implant. Moved here from Helena about six weeks ago.”
“Montana, huh? Did you get bored of horses and cows and decide BDSM was a better choice?”
“Well now, you’re assuming I’m a cowboy.” Clay spun the cart around the corner and drove it up the bumpy incline.
“Are you?”
“Yes’m. Until the day I die.” He grinned at her. “There ain’t nothing like the feel of a fiery mare underneath a man to make him appreciate life.”
The double entendre didn’t go amiss, he noted with amusement when she flushed pink. He found he enjoyed teasing her, bringing that touch of color to her cheeks. He was hoping she might stick around and give him the opportunity to play with her on a different level.
“On a serious note,” he continued, following the track back toward the club, “I loved my job. I worked hard, long hours, spent days in the saddle, nights under the stars. Froze my ass off in winter and burned it in summer. Worth it, every damn minute. But fate’s a fickle bitch and when she gives you a sign, you listen.”
Avery shifted slightly in her seat. “What kind of sign?”
He grimaced, his body remembering the agony before his brain even brought up the memory. “Mama cows ain’t something you deal with lightly, sweetling, especially with anewborn at foot. It was my fault; I wasn’t paying close enough attention. Caught up the calf to tag the little sucker and momma came at me like the goddamn devil’s bride.”
“You were attacked by a cow?”
Clay chuckled and shook his head. “That bitch handed me my ass and then some. Picked me up and tossed me like a ragdoll ten feet away. Smashed up my right leg, dislocated my shoulder. Busted a few ribs and gave me a concussion. Few other bits and pieces, but long story short, she put an end to my cowboy days.”
Eyes wide enough to be chocolate moons, Avery gaped at him. “Did someone save you?”
He smiled sadly. Tokyo was gone now, his faithful mount dead and buried with a stone as his memorial. “My horse. He kept the cow off me, chased her and the calf away, then stayed with me until help came. Luckily, my boss knew what I was doing and where, so when I didn’t come back after a couple hours, he sent some of the hands out to find me.”
“Your horse fought a cow?” she asked dubiously.
“Stock horses are a lot different from your show ponies, sweetling. Generations of blood and breeding make them into machines, their instincts completely natural. They’re a dream to ride, and when they’re your best and only friend out on the trail, completely invaluable.” But he didn’t want to bore her with tales of the ranch life. He was a lot more interested in how she’d come to be here. “What about you?”
“Yeah… no. Two legs are clumsy enough for me, thanks.”
“Don’t know what you’re missing,” he told her. “Besides, that wasn’t what I was asking.”
“I know.” She sighed and slanted him a look. “The honest truth? I walked in on my boyfriend cheating on me, kicked his ass out, got drunk, and blindly applied for a job in a place I’m not even sure I belong.”
His eyebrow lifted. “He cheated on you? Was he blind or just stupider than a rock?”
Avery laughed but it wasn’t a happy sound. “I’ve come to realize he was just using me as a free ride through this period of his life. He mistook me for a doormat, I guess.”
“Gonna take a stab in the dark here and say it was pretty recent?”
“Friday.”
Clay hit the brakes, turning in his seat to stare at her. “Are we your rebound interview, Avery?”
She blinked at him slowly, uncertainty in those wonderfully dark eyes, then her lips twitched. Her laugh was freer, more genuine this time. “I’m afraid so. Maybe this is just a fling, who knows?”
