Count This Cowboy In (7 page)

Her eyes lit up. 
"Really?  I can go riding this evening?"

"
I told you that you could and I mean what I say.  You may not know me well enough yet to believe that, but once you know me better you'll see.  If I say something, I mean it." 

Sam noticed both Grant and Consuela nodding their head in agreement. 

"So, we can go whenever you're ready," Trevor said.

"
We?"

"
Yes, we.  My first rule is if you're going to be riding one of my horses, I'm going to go with you the first time to assure myself you can handle my horse."

"
I can assure you I can handle a horse," Sam snorted, a bit disgusted.

"
I'm not saying you can't.  As a matter of fact, I feel very confident that you can.  But rules are rules.  I'll feel a lot better about letting you ride alone in the future once I've seen for myself that I don't have anything to worry about."

Sam considered his words a moment before accepting them. 
"Okay, I guess that makes sense."

As they were walking out to the barn, again with his hand on her back, he said,
"Besides, rule number 2 is I need to make sure you know where my ranch ends and the next one starts.  I don't want you roaming onto land that's not mine."

She looked at him curiously
. "Do you have neighbors you don't get along with?"

"
No, and I want to keep it that way.  Besides, last year we had some trouble with drifters riding through these parts and camping for a few days.  The neighboring ranchers and I weren't too enthused about their squatting and starting campfires on our land.  I don't want any of them thinking we're having more problems with that."

Reaching the barn, he stopped and looked into her eyes before opening the door for her. 
"Plus I don't like the idea of a very pretty young lady by herself wandering around on land that she doesn't have express permission to be on.  You never know what could happen and I don't want anything happening to you."

"
I can take care of myself."

"
Maybe, but on my land I am responsible for you.  And I don't want anything to happen to you.  I'm looking forward to getting to know you, Sam."  He held her eyes for a few moments and had an unexpected urge to kiss her.  Before he could do it, though, one of the ranch hands came hurrying out the door, almost knocking Sam down.

Trevor quickly reached out and pulled her over to him. 
"Clark, watch where you're going."

An embarrassed young man said,
"Sorry, boss."  He turned to Sam. "I'm real sorry, ma'am.  I wasn't expecting anyone to be there.  Are you okay?"

"
Yeah, I'm fine.  No harm done."  She smiled at the young man to assure him of that.  She was a bit surprised that Trevor was still holding her against him, even though she assured them she was fine.  It felt great, though and it'd be fine with her if he held her there all evening.  As quickly as she thought that, she scolded herself for even thinking it.  This was her boss and she had to get those thoughts out of her mind.

"
Where are you going in such a hurry, Clark?" Trevor asked.

"
Again, sorry, boss.  I was going in to town."

Trevor smiled at his employee, then much as a father would do, told him,
"Say hello to Cindy for me.  Remember, you're a man, be a gentleman.  Don't let one night rule your entire life."

Clark turned red, but said,
"I remember what you told me, boss.  Thanks."  He quickly told Sam, "I'm sorry I ran into you," and dashed around behind the barn to his pickup.

After he was out of sight Trevor smiled down at Sam, who still seemed comfortable in his arms
. "Clark's a good guy, but he's young.  His dad died when he was fourteen.  He graduated high school early when he was sixteen and his mom kicked him out of the house then.  She had six other kids and money was scarce.  He's been working for me since.  He's a good worker and a good kid, but young."

Sam
's respect for Trevor grew when she heard his words.  "That was nice of you to take him under your wing."

Trevor looked at her with an odd expression on his face.  After a moment he said,
"I guess maybe I did take him under my wing, didn't I?  I never thought of it that way before.  I hired him as a hand and he's been a good worker."

Sam smiled up at him and shook her head. 
"No, you didn't just hire him as a hand; you took him under your wing."  She thought a moment or two before adding, "You're more than the boss cowboy to him.  And I, for one, am impressed."  Without giving him time to think about that statement, she backed away from him. "Now, where are these horses, while it's still light out?"

"
Right over here."  He led her into the barn and leaned closer to her. "And thank you for the compliment.  It makes the boss cowboy feel good." 

"
Good." 

She saw a stallion that was a beautiful horse and walked over to his stall.  He came over to her and let her scratch his neck as she talked to him.  She turned and asked Trevor,
"Is he yours?  He's beautiful."

"
Yes, he is mine.  How did you know that?"

"
Look at him!  He is a stunning piece of horseflesh."  She grinned at him as she said, "He just looks like he should belong to the boss cowboy."

Trevor laughed at Sam and her antics.  But he was also impressed. 
"You know horses."

"
I love horses."  Looking back at his, she asked, "Do you have a horse breeding program here, or did you pay a small fortune for him?"

"
A little of both.  I traded for him, before I started a breeding program here.  I'm really just in the beginning stages of it."  Moving down the aisle a bit, he said, "Let's get you a horse to ride."

She followed along beside him, looking at the horses in stalls.  When he stopped in front of a mare, she went over to pet her.  Talking to the mare, she said,
"Hey, girl, how are you?  The boss cowboy seems to think you'd be safe for me to ride, so I'm assuming that means you're tremendously gentle and very well trained.  That's fine with me.  You want to go for a ride?"  She turned to Trevor to ask, "Is there a saddle I can borrow?  I'll saddle her up while you get yours ready."

He smiled as he went to a tack room with her following.  Pointing to several along the one wall, he said,
"Any of them here you're free to use.  See any you like?"

"
This one will be fine," she said as she picked one up and headed back to the mare.

Trevor quickly took it from her, carrying it for her.  When they got to the stall she opened the gate and followed him in, then took the saddle back and proceeded to quickly and efficiently saddle the horse.  She led the horse toward his. 
"Have I passed the test so far?"

"
With flying colors."  He saddled his stallion and led the way out of the barn.  They mounted their horses and she let him lead the way across a pasture.

An hour later they came up over a rise and Sam
brought her horse to a stop, looking all around.  Trevor, who had slowed in anticipation of her stopping, brought his horse up next to hers.  He could easily see the sparkle in her eyes as she said, "This is beautiful.  Thank you for bringing me here."

"
I thought you might like it.  Sometimes I come here to think, or to unwind." 

Sam looked at the small group of trees off a bit to the left. 
"Good place to get out of the sun while you watch the wildlife.  I'll bet there's lots of animals coming to drink from the pond."

"
There are."  Getting more serious, he said, "But Sam, don't come up here alone, please.  I love to come up and sit right where you indicated and watch the wildlife, as well, but you have to be careful and have a gun with you just in case.  There are mountain lions, wild hogs, even an occasional bear around."

"
I figured as much.  But if you stay still and don't disturb them you're usually fine."

"
Usually, yes.  But I don't want you up here alone because of that odd time when you're not fine.  And the feral pigs are becoming a problem.  They're getting more aggressive all the time."

"
I can bring a gun along if I ever come up here.  I'll be fine."

"
Samantha, I said you are not to come here alone and I mean it."

They had gotten off their horses and tied them to one of the trees.  He asked,
"Would you like to stay here and take in the scenery, or go down to the pond?"

"
Let's stay here a little while.  Maybe we'll be lucky and see some of that wildlife you're so afraid of."

Trevor patiently went to his saddlebag and took out a blanket and pulled
out his rifle.  Spreading the blanket on the ground, he calmly said, "Sam, I'm not afraid of the wildlife, but I do have respect for it and I expect you to, as well.  You are not to come up here without me.  Do you understand?"

"
Do I understand your words?  Yes.  Do I understand why you're trying to treat me like a child, saying I can't come here by myself?  Hell, no."

She turned and started to sit down on the blanket, but before she had a chance
, he had his hand around her upper arm and pulled her back up.  He quickly turned her a quarter turn and gave her backside three quick, but very firm swats.  "Oww!  What was that for?"

"
That was a quick reminder to watch your language, but you're dangerously close to getting a full, all out spanking for your attitude."

"
My attitude?"

"
Yes.  I don't appreciate the sarcasm, or the attitude.  And I'm not treating you like a child."

"
My attitude?  This coming from a man who just beat a woman?"  She rubbed her bottom as she said, "And how the hell is what you just did not treating me like a child?  WTF?"

"
Okay, Darlin', that does it.  But don't say I didn't warn you."

Sam scowled at Trevor.  "Warn me about what?"

He didn
't say a word as he took her hand and pulled her over to a tree stump.  She was so shocked she didn't even think about what he had planned until it was too late.  She soon found herself over his knees as he sat on the stump.  She immediately realized his intent and yelled, "Oh, hell, no."  She tried valiantly to fight and wriggle her way off his knees, but to no avail.

Trevor let her fight for a while, using up some of her energy.  He kept a tight hold on her waist to make sure she didn
't go anywhere.  After a minute or so he said, "You've put up quite a fight, Sam and I personally appreciate such a feisty little lady.  However, it won't do you any good.  All you're doing is prolonging what's going to happen and if you keep it up you'll be earning a harder spanking.  So settle down now so we can get this over with.  Then we'll talk."

He didn
't give her time to say anything, which he thought was probably doing her a favor.  He started the spanking quickly, bringing his hand down with firm smacks to get her attention.  And it definitely got her attention! 

"
Oww!  Trevor, stop!  Damn, that hurts!  Now stop it!  You have no right.  Owww!"

He moved lower and smacked both of her thighs once when he heard her cuss again.  Her response was
"Shit!  That really hurt!  Stop it!"

He smacked her thighs again as he said,
"Sam, you've been warned about that kind of language and you even got a reminder about it.  You can keep it up during this spanking if you want, but since you haven't seemed to have caught on yet, let me explain that every time you cuss during a spanking, the spanking will move down to your thighs.  Now, if that's good with you, keep cussing and I'll accommodate you.  However, if you don't care much for being spanked on your thighs, I would suggest you curtail your potty mouth immediately."

Sam opened her mouth to scream her thoughts to him, but nothing came out.  He
'd moved back up to her bottom and as much as it hurt, it wasn't nearly as bad as when he whacked her thighs.  But then, just as she was calming a bit, she felt him reach under her stomach and unfasten her jeans.  Oh, no.  Just like that, he had her jeans and panties both down to her knees.  Now she did find her voice.  "You son of a bitch!"

The second the words were out of her mouth she realized the mistake she
'd made.  Before she could do or say anything else, his hand moved back to her thighs, but this time they were smacking bare skin.  And she'd thought it had stung before!  Nothing like it did now.  She instantly tried the only thing she could think of.  "Trevor, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it.  I won't cuss any more.  Owwwww!  Please stop!  That hurts so badly!  Please!" 

He finally did move back up to her bottom
and she finally was able to gulp in a small breath.  She tried to think of a way out of this.  She had to make it end.  But before long, all she could think about was the awful pain he was creating on her butt.  It hurt!