Heavenly Angel (37 page)

“
Sweet merciful heavens
. What did you say?”

Teresa stifled her laughter. “I asked when would
I
get to tie him up.”

Grace shrieked and cackled like she was about to lay an egg. “
Who are you,
and what have you done with my friend, Teresa? You did not say that! What did he say?’

“He said that did
not
help his guilt at all, but he smiled when he said it. He was afraid one of the buckle bunnies at the rodeo coming up in a few weeks might…remember him and make an offer. He felt bad about being such a horn dog with all of them. Evidently, he had quite a prolific reputation. Anyway, when he met me and started feeling like it could lead somewhere, he went to see Dr. Guthrie and got tested to make sure. He was clean and clear, but he even felt bad for going to the doctor and not telling me about that.”

“So he got it all off his chest?”

“Yes. Bless his heart.” Teresa replied, taking out her cell phone when it chirped. It was a text message from Angel.

Hey, beautiful. How’s your morning so far?

Teresa quickly typed a reply.
Hi, Angel. We’re stopping for lunch downtown.

Her phone chirped almost immediately with his next message.
Find anything you liked at Discretion?

Teresa giggled and decided to tease him a bit.
Wait until you see the naughty things I’m bringing home with me..

Her phone chirped again with Angel’s response.
We’ll look forward to you modeling for us.

She was still concerned about the men visiting the ranch and hoped that Michael was behaving.
How is Michael doing?

Angel’s reply was swift.
He’s doing great. Another hour or so and we’ll be done here. Have a nice lunch.

Teresa answered,
We will. I love you.

Angel came back with,
Love you, too, beautiful. Be careful.

We will.
Teresa typed as Grace pulled into the parking lot of a cute little tea room tucked into old downtown Morehead.

“Angel said they’ll be done soon,” Teresa said as she climbed from the convertible.

“Good. That whole deal kind of…creeps me out a little.”

“Me, too.”

Chapter Thirty

Teresa squinted from the bright sunshine as she and Grace approached the old-fashioned double glass doors of the tearoom. The doors opened inward as they approached, and a petite young woman greeted them. “Hello. Welcome to Nikolai’s!”

The hostess led them to a table near one of the windows looking out over the garden that grew in the little space between the tearoom and the building next door.

The alleyways had been permanently closed and were repurposed by the downtown revitalization committee as outdoor rooms and gardens. Several restaurants in the area used them as outdoor dining rooms, like Nikolai’s, while other businesses used them as venues for live music and open-air shopping markets.

After looking at the menus, Teresa and Grace placed their orders with their waitress.

Grace removed her phone from her purse when it chimed and looked at the display. Grace looked up at Teresa and said, “It’s a text message from Ethan. Do you mind?”

“Of course not. Go ahead,” Teresa said. Grace texted back and forth with Ethan for a minute or two, and Teresa watched with amusement as Grace occasionally giggled and her cheeks turned a rosy color over the course of the conversation with him.

When Grace set her phone aside, Teresa asked, “Was Ethan telling you what he’s going to do to you when you get home?”

Grace chuckled as she put her phone up. “Yes, how could you tell?”

“You kept giggling and squirming in your seat. I’m glad I’m not the only one who blushes so easily. Were you teasing him?”

“I was giving him hints about the cock ring I bought him at Discretion.”

That got Teresa’s cheeks burning! Her best friend was talking about penis jewelry for her husband, with Teresa, and she wasn’t running from the room.

“I’ll bet he’s going to love that. Do Jack and Adam go for things like that?”

“I don’t know, but we’re gonna find out. He’ll probably run it by them privately and then let me know. They’ve never denied me anything I’ve asked for, even if they aren’t sure it’s something they’ll enjoy.”

“Like
bondage
?” Teresa asked quietly, curiosity spurring her to come right out and ask.

Grace looked carefully at her friend, probably searching for a trace of unease or judgment, then said, “You know I wouldn’t want you to feel embarrassed, right?”

“You haven’t steered me wrong so far. I’d never judge you if you were seeking to please your men. So, let me guess, it’s Ethan, isn’t it?”

Grace nodded. “Yes. He tends to be more toward the
edge
.”

“Does he tie you up?” Teresa asked. She pictured Angel and Joaquin in control of her like that, and her pussy echoed a responding pulse.

“Not yet, but we’re curious about things like that. He spanks me, though,” she whispered so softly Teresa could barely hear her.

“Do you…like it?” Teresa asked. Grace might be the one embarrassed and shocked if she knew how the thought of Teresa’s men doing that affected her.

Grace whispered, “Like you would not believe!”

Teresa patted Grace on the shoulder as she rested her forehead in her hands briefly.
“Damn, that good?”
she asked as Grace nodded with her head down.

When Grace looked up, Teresa couldn’t deny the glow she saw in Grace’s eyes. “It’s amazing. It’s like I go to a different place. It’s euphoric…and comforting.”

“Comforting?” Teresa echoed, thinking she was missing the connection. Getting spanked could be comforting? “Okay. I’m gonna trust you on that.”

At that moment their waitress delivered their meals. Other diners were seated at the tables surrounding them, so they were unable to finish their conversation. Teresa waited until they were back in the convertible and quizzed Grace all the way home about what it was like to be spanked. Teresa was breaking all kinds of new ground today. Butt plugs, erotic romances, and spankings, oh my.

Chapter Thirty-one

Teresa heard singing and laughter from the backyard as she and Grace unloaded her purchases from the trunk of Grace’s convertible. Teresa beckoned to Grace, and they went in the house, put the shopping bags on the couch then headed for the back door. The house was immaculate, just as she’d left it, if not better. She loved that her men cleaned up after themselves. The two of them peeked out the window in the back door and giggled.

Angel and Joaquin sat on the back porch. Michael was in the backyard riding around on his little green tractor. His mouth was moving, but the sound was muffled, so they quietly opened the door.

Michael’s vocabulary had grown considerably, and Teresa had noticed he’d become more articulate. She attributed some of that to his precociousness, but knew that Angel and Joaquin could take credit as well. When he was with them, he was always asking questions, and they took an active role in instructing him.

Joaquin and Angel looked up, smiling happily when they saw them, and motioned them to come out and sit.

Joaquin put his finger over his lips and chuckled as he whispered, “Listen to what he’s singing.” Teresa and Grace silently took seats on the glider and at the table.

“…take you for a ride on my big green tractor.

We can go slow or make it go faster.”

Michael was going around in circles, singing “Big Green Tractor” by Jason Aldean at the top of his lungs. He was toggling the lever for the front-end loader, so the little shovel on the front of the toy vehicle was moving randomly up and down.

“Climb up in my lap and drive if you want to.

Girl, you know you got me to hold on to.”

Teresa tried unsuccessfully to stifle her giggles as she watched her little boy have fun. Grace had tears in her eyes she was laughing so hard. Teresa looked over at Angel and caught his eyes. He smiled at her and indicated with his chin to the camera he was holding to show her he was shooting a video of Michael singing.

“That’s ten thousand dollars for his college fund, right there,” Joaquin whispered in her ear as he sat next to her on the glider. “Earlier he was doing his Kenny Chesney impersonation, singing ‘She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy’.”

The scene was even funnier because Michael was, of course, dressed in the obligatory hat, chaps, and spurs that had become a favorite part of his daily attire. Most kids outgrew those parts of a cowboy dress-up costume, but it was clear he was going to wear his out.

“Just let me dust off the seat.

Mmmm, put your pretty little arms around me.

Here we go.”

* * * *

Angel parked in the Morehead fairgrounds parking lot, the first night of the rodeo. Teresa allowed Joaquin to help her climb from the front seat of Angel’s truck, placing her on the ground as if she were fine china.

“You doing okay, sugar? You were awful quiet on the way into town.” He tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes. Teresa looked down because she knew she couldn’t hide the worry there.

“Just promise me you’ll be careful and stay focused. Please, Joaquin.”

“It’ll be fine, sugar. I’ve done this hundreds of times.”

Two more big Dually pickup trucks parked next to theirs, and Ethan, Jack, and Adam jumped out of one of them to help Grace down from her seat, much to her obvious enjoyment. Teresa smiled at the way the men always watched out for her. Ash and several ranch hands piled out of the other truck, which pulled a horse trailer loaded with three of the mares from the ranch. Ethan and Adam were going to be working as pickup riders during the events. Teresa looked over at Grace, and Grace smiled encouragingly at her.

Teresa tried to get all this into perspective. Joaquin had done this before. Being fearless like that was one of the reasons she loved him, and rejecting this part of his life would be rejecting part of who he was. She couldn’t do that. Sucking up her fear and worry, she smiled up at him. He kissed her before leaning into the truck to lift out the canvas duffel that contained all his gear.

The night before, he’d shown her the Kevlar-lined vest he’d be wearing. Joaquin also explained that two pickup riders would be mounted and ready in the arena to pick him up if the bull bucked him off and charged him, and also to redirect the bull from the arena. It had helped to know that he would not be completely alone in the ring with the bull and that there would be bullfighters to distract the bull, as well.

Teresa smiled and said, “I’ll be cheering for you with Angel and the others. You just stay focused on that bull.”

“Yes, ma’am. You want to walk with me to the registration booth?” he asked as he strapped on his leather chaps. Teresa watched him as he did up all the buckles and straps, glancing over at Grace, who was watching her men appreciatively as they did the same, catching her eye. Grace’s lip was caught between her teeth as she made eye contact with Teresa. Teresa suppressed a snicker when Grace mouthed “O.M.G.” to her then looked back.

Grace leaned in to whisper something in Ethan’s ear as he stood up, adjusting the buckle to the chaps that was located over his fly. Ethan went motionless and gave her a sexy smile then whispered something back and kissed her neck. He released her to Adam, who had come up to stand beside them, speaking softly. Grace’s arms snaked around Adam, her fingers sliding into the top band of the chaps.

Teresa returned her attention to Joaquin as he stood up, adjusting the fit on his chaps, and smiled at her. “What, sugar?”

What? He knows exactly what. Handsome devil.

She bit her lip, unsuccessful in stifling a sigh of longing. “I’ve never seen you in chaps before.”

“And?” Joaquin asked knowingly. He gave her a sideways twinkly-eyed grin as he fastened the buckle.

“No wonder the buckle bunnies swarmed around you.” Giggling, she slid her arm around his hips.

He chuckled, kissing her cheek. “But I’m all yours now, me
and my chaps
.”

“Yes,
mine
. All mine.”

The horses were unloaded, saddled, and all the gear was gathered.

“You didn’t answer me earlier,” Joaquin said, sliding a hand around her hip and squeezing her to him as their group made their way to the main entrance of the arena.

With all the ogling, she’d forgotten he’d asked a question. “What question? Oh! Yes, I’ll be happy to walk with you.”

Angel lifted Michael onto his arm. “I’ll take Michael with me and help Grace find us good seats. After you get done with Joaquin, call me, and I’ll come get you.” Angel kissed her as the group split up. The spectators headed toward the stands, while the men participating went to the registration area which was set up at the rear entrance of the facility.

The crowd was thick, and the fragrance of funnel cakes and popcorn filled the cool afternoon air as they worked their way to the end of the arena. A couple of times, they stopped, and Joaquin introduced Teresa to cowboys and their wives or girlfriends, who were longtime friends of Joaquin from the rodeo circuit.

Teresa noticed calculating looks from several young women as they passed. Joaquin appeared to not notice them as he conversed with her and his friends. Those young women were all dressed the same, in skintight, colorful jeans, low-cut tops, hats, and boots. Several sported large, polished silver buckles on their belts.