Free The Private Stable [Iron Spur Ranch 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Stacey Espino Page A

well as the ranch’s.
    “If them cowboys give you a lick of trouble, you let me know,” he said once they were alone.
    “Will I be alone with them?”
    “No, I’ll be there, but we’ll be covering a lot of territory and people have been known to get lost. Especially tenderfoots.”
    “Tenderfoots?”
    “Usually city slickers trying to play cowboys and Indians. They come up for an adventure, telling us they know more than they do. Most of the time we have to take the bloodhounds out after dark to find them.” The Iron Spur Ranch’s main focus was horse breeding, but Damien had expanded into other areas over the years. The most successful involved tourism since they were so off the beaten path. Riding classes, trail rides, and horseback tours were growing in popularity. Not to mention Damien’s exclusive, private BDSM club on the property. Only a select few were privy to its existence. Personally, Ethan wasn’t interested. He’d been raised with old-fashioned values, and the thought of striking a woman for pleasure didn’t sit well with him.
    “I see.” She watched him intently. He double-checked that her saddle was secure and girth strap pulled tight. It was almost as if she was witnessing such things for the first time, which would be impossible if she was all she claimed to be.
    “Will you be able to keep up?”
    “ Of course .”
    “You need any help mounting?”
    She stared at him for a moment before turning to the horse. She grabbed the saddle horn, hooked the wrong shoe into the stirrup, and then lifted her weight off the ground. Rachel was trapped in suspended animation, her cheeks turning a pretty pink.
    “You said you’re a pro rider, right?”
    “I’m–I’m just not used to this horse. And it makes me nervous when you watch me.”
    He raised his hands in surrender and slowly twirled around to give her his back. “Better?”
    “Much.”
    Ethan heard the sound of leather creaking, struggling, and heavy breathing. When he finally turned around again, she was sitting proudly in the saddle.
    “You look good up there,” he said. Only she was no pro rider. He hoped she was a quick learner for all their sakes.
    He led the mare to the paddock gate and then went to collect his own horse. Jesse and Trevor were already in the saddle with all their gear in place. They both wore leather chaps, spurs, and multiple layers. Ethan wasn’t the only one who knew the elements they’d be facing.
    Once he released the latch on the gate, it slowly swung open with a groan. Ethan led the way, turning around to ensure the other three were following—especially Ms. Price. Luckily for her, the mare knew enough to keep up to the other horses. Normally he’d protest about babysitting a greenhorn when he was on a tight deadline, but he liked having Rachel around. She offered a break in the clouds.
     
    * * * *
     
    Rachel was well and truly screwed. She wasn’t sure how long she could keep up her ruse. And how long would Ethan and Wyatt pretend nothing happened between them? The entire situation felt like a disaster just waiting to happen.
    It had been her first time on a horse, and despite the rough mounting, she thought she did pretty good. The horse followed the others obediently. The gentle sway of its body was almost soothing after a while. She could see the appeal in horseback riding. Rachel absorbed the sights and sounds around her as they travelled away from the ranch. Small clusters of trees dotted acre upon acre of open fields. The farther they travelled, the more irregular the ground became, making maneuvering perilous at times. Outcroppings of rock, prickly briars, and unruly grasses left much to be desired.
    At least the sky was coming to life. It had been shades of blue and pink only an hour earlier when she’d walked to the main house with Wyatt. Now the sun grew in strength, changing the sky to a brilliant robin’s-egg blue. Back home she’d forgotten what real color was, everything seemingly