Free Ride A Cowby by Leigh Curtis Page A

so he could access the creek that ran through her land and divert it to his property and the six hundred head of thirsty cattle he owned.
    Like any good cattleman, he’d made his offer. Five hundred dollars and the pick of his herds for her own use. She’d written back that it sounded like a fair deal, except she always sealed all of her business transactions one way. She’d said if a man wasn’t any good in the bedroom, he wouldn’t be any good at business. Damn hard‐hearted bitch, he thought, although without as much malice as he should have had.
    Truth was, Lily was a curiosity around these parts. He figured a lot of the stories about her probably weren’t true. Half of the ‘upstanding’ citizens of Austen County hated her; the other half lusted after her like male dogs after a bitch in heat. Those who found their way into her charms quickly learned what a double‐edged sword her affections could be. She gave a whole new meaning to ‘leather and lace,’ if the marks she’d left on a few of her personal favorites were any indication.
    Wade reined his horse in. No need in putting off the inevitable. He’d have to give in to her demands if his ranch was going to make it through the winter. Taking a deep breath, he noted a change in the air. A storm was coming. Minutes later, a light drizzle started, and in the distance dark clouds gathered.
    With the storm, the rain barrels might go up a few inches, but it likely wouldn’t last. Although he dreaded giving in to the demands of any woman, yielding to the owner of the Pleasure Ranch was inconceivable. She was a woman who knew how to wield power over a man. And Wade had long ago vowed that no one would ever control him—in any way, ever. But it was either get the water or lose everything he’d worked six years to build up. If he didn’t keep his cattle alive to get them to market next spring, then he’d default on his loans and his ranch would go to the bank. If he lost his ranch, then there was no chance to pay the remainder of his restitution and he’d go back to prison.
    So there was nothing left to do but give into the damn woman’s demands. He ground his jaw so hard his teeth ached. Unfortunately, whenever he thought of sex with Lily, there was a part of his anatomy that got very excited, if his cock pushing hard against his denims was any indication. Damn, just thinking of fucking her made his balls ache.
    To a self‐ made man like Wade, any time a man was in conflict with his balls, it was just plain unacceptable.
    The wind started to pick up as he rode closer to her property, and now the rain pelted him like a thousand tiny needles prickling his skin. Shit, he thought. Could this night get any worse?
    *****
    “ Take that, you no good son of a bitch!” Lily shouted as the last strap struck against the white flesh of the cowboy’s hairy ass. “Touch one of my girls again, and I’ll cut your balls off and feed them to the coyotes.”
    Lily threw the horsewhip down and stormed from the barn. The bastard had cut up her youngest girl, Sadie O’Malley, her wounds so bad, she’d probably never recover. Forget that she would never be a working girl again. What man would ever want a woman so disfigured?
    “ Take it easy, Cherie , you’re going to hurt yourself,” Marie Ambrose said behind her. The older woman had spent her youth catering to the needs and wants of men, but now she labored only for the women of the Pleasure Ranch. Her prime concern was its madam, of course. If anything happened to Lily, all the staff knew that they’d starve.
    “ I’m okay, Marie. You’ve no need to tatter over me.”
    “ Oui. Perhaps, but you’ve been pushing yourself too hard. You’ve not slept more than a few hours a night for days. You’ve hardly eaten. With this upset, you’ll be falling down before long, mark my words.”
    Lily reached the house and opened the door for them both. A light rain had started, and that meant the cattlemen coming in late from