Molding Clay (13 page)

Rusty laughed and traced the pad of her thumb across his full lower lip. “Why, Mr.

Russell, how conventional.”

“Mr.?” he sputtered as she clamored free of him with a wicked giggle. “Woman, I

can see right now I’m gonna have to spank your ass good.”

Rusty hooted a laugh, grabbed her clothes and took off running. “Promises,

promises,” she yelled over her shoulder.

Clay snatched up his clothes and hurriedly dressed then took off in hot pursuit. By

the time he caught up to her, she was half dressed, running in the direction of the

horses, laughing like mad.

He caught her just as she neared their mounts. She screamed in delight as he swung

her into his arms. “Well, honey, seeing as how you’re still bare-assed, I guess now’s as

good a time as any for that spankin’. Less of course, you want to promise you’ll stop

that annoying habit of calling me Mr. Russell.”

She rolled her eyes, “Hmmm, seems to me that not stopping’s gonna get me a lot

more than stopping…Mr. Russell.”

Clay gave her a mock scowl. “Have it your way,” he said as he plopped down on

the ground and laid her across his lap.

“Clay, I was kidding,” she protested as he brought his hand down on her rear.

“Really!” she yelled at the second spank, and tried to break away.

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“Not hardly,” he argued in a sex-hungry voice and threw one leg over the back of

her thighs to trap her in place, at the same time grabbing her arm and twisting it up

behind her to force her to press her chest down to relieve the pressure, effectively

raising her pink-cheeked ass higher.

Rusty squirmed in protest, at first anxious over being so completely trapped and

vulnerable. Clay’s hand came down on her ass again, hard enough to make her jump

and her skin burn but not hard enough to cause damage.

She grunted and bit her bottom lip, trying to stem the lust that was manifesting fast

and hard. But her traitorous body would not cooperate. It wanted what he offered. To

be dominated completely.

Clay sensed her rising passion, smelled the scent of her sex rising in the air. It

inflamed him, much to his surprise. He’d never wanted to possess a woman, to

dominate her, be the master to her slave. But Rusty brought out something in him that

had remained dormant too long and once set free, it could not be locked away again.

He wanted her to want it, to beg for it. To be his without reservation.

He paused and released her. She rolled away, her face flushed and pupils dilated

with desire. “So, you had your fill of bullying?” she asked in a husky voice.

“Not by a long shot, darlin’,” he replied equally as husky. “Now I want you to roll

back here on my lap with that delicious little ass in the air. I’m gonna give you a good

spanking, and when I’m done, I’m gonna fuck you with my tongue. In your pussy. Up

your ass. And then I’m going to fuck you with my fingers. And when your pussy is

swollen and sensitive to the touch and your ass is stretched nice and loose, I’m going to

put my dick in you and ride you until you can’t come anymore.”

Rusty’s pussy actually clenched at his words, juice spilling out to wet her thighs.

How was it that he knew her secret desires when she didn’t? How was it that she

wanted to be dominated by this man, to be used as his toy of satisfaction?

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“Don’t make me tell you twice, darlin’,” his voice broke into her thoughts. “Roll

over here.”

Her body literally trembled as she complied, positioning herself across his lap.

“Stretch your arms up over your head, darlin’, and push your ass up higher.”

She did as he commanded. A moment later his hand came down on her right

buttock, a sharp sting that radiated out into a burn. A second blow followed on the

other cheek. By the fourth spank, her ass was on fire and she was groaning with the

pleasure of the pain.

“Please,” she gasped at the next spank. “No more. Please.”

Clay’s hand landed lightly on her ass. “You gonna be good, Rusty? You gonna do

what I tell you? Give me what I want?”

“Yes, yes!”

“Then get on your hands and knees, honey. Spread those legs and put your head

and chest on the ground. I want your ass up where I can get to you.”

Rusty was afraid her body would betray her further, that she would come just

thinking about what was going to happen. She whimpered in lust and anticipation as

she complied. Clay knelt behind her, his fingers moved to the open channel of her sex,

dripping with need. He spread her wide then lowered his head, running his tongue

from her ass to clit in one long, slow lick that had her gasping and grasping handfuls of

grass on the ground.

The sun traveled across the sky, starting its sink toward the western horizon by the

time Clay fulfilled all his promises to Rusty, leaving her limp and exhausted, lying atop

his strong body.

“Good god,” she said and sat up, straddling him as she peeled wet strands of hair

loose from her skin, holding her hair in a bunch on top of her head to cool her skin.

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“Complaint or praise?” Clay asked, lying contentedly on the ground, taking

pleasure in the sight of her naked body straddling his, her arms up over her head,

pulling her firm breasts up higher.

“Definitely praise,” she replied. “Mr. Russell, you tap into a side of me I didn’t even

know existed.”

“And now that you do?” he asked, for once ignoring the Mr. Russell tag.

“Now I guess I’ll just have to hang onto you like a big ol’ leech.”

“Why, Miz Blackhawk, how romantic.”

They both laughed, surprisingly comfortable in the sexual roles they had assumed

without plan or forethought.

“Yep, ol’ silverlips, that’s me,” she replied.

“Hmmm, I’d say gold,” he argued with a sexy smile. “Much warmer and matches

the color of your skin better.”

She released her hair and leaned over, propping herself on her arms on either side

of him.

“Well, gold or silver, if these lips don’t lock around some food soon I’m gonna dry

up and blow away.”

As if on cue, her stomach rumbled loudly.

“Damn, woman, let’s get you to the trough!” Clay exclaimed.

Laughing like kids, they both hurried to dress and mount their horses. Rusty

laughed as she leaned close to Beau’s neck, urging him faster, even as Fleetfoot’s long

legs brought Clay closing in on her. For this one moment, all was right with the world.

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Chapter Ten

Rusty and Clay rode side by side to the barn. She was flushed from laughter, her

hair tangled from the wind, but smiling as she looked over at Clay, the man she loved.

She extended her hand to him. Just as their hands touched, a loud rapport rang out,

spooking the horses, causing them to prance nervously. Fleetfoot reared up, making

Clay fight to stay in the saddle.

Being less nervous by nature and soothed by having Rusty rubbing his neck, Beau

settled quickly and she whirled him around and shot off toward the paddock. Her eyes

raked over the stock. A moment later she was out of the saddle and climbing the fence,

heedless of the concealed threat.

Clay reached the fence to see Rusty in the middle of more than a dozen frightened

horses, pawing and prancing nervously, their high whinnies filling the air. Rusty

seemed oblivious to the danger of tons of horseflesh and sharp hooves as she knelt over

the prone body of a chestnut mare.

He vaulted the fence and ran to her.

“She’s been shot!” Rusty’s hands were plastered over the wound, trying to stop the

bubbling blood.

Clay knelt down beside her. “It’s not fatal. It got her high enough on the leg that

she’ll make it. We just have to get that bullet out and stop the bleeding.”

“We can’t let her die.” Rusty looked at him with pleading eyes. “We have to save

her.”

“We will. Just keep pressure on the wound while I get the medical kit.”

Clay took off for the barn. Rusty pressed down on the wound, took a deep slow

breath and closed her eyes. She thought of the joy of a few moments earlier, and the

grace she’d felt bestowed upon her in the mountain clearing. Suddenly all of the noise

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around her vanished. In that silence she poured all of her energy, offering her life force

to the wounded animal, willing the horse’s wounded body to heal.

She felt heat gather in her hands. Within moments her skin felt as if a branding iron

had been pressed to her palms. Sweat broke out and poured down her face, stained her

clothing and turned her dark hair into sodden strands.

The pain intensified until she was gritting her teeth so hard her jaws hurt. She

refused to give in to the pain. The horse was an innocent life, harmed by the evil intent

of another, and she refused to let that be.

“You
will
heal,” she hissed between clenched teeth. “By all that is holy and good,

you will heal.”

“Rusty, no!”

Clay’s voice filtered into the silence that bound her but she couldn’t cease her

efforts. She could feel strength flow from her to the horse, feel the beat of the animal’s

heart getting stronger and steadier. Just a few more moments was all she needed.

Like being yanked from a deep sleep, she was wrested away, the contact broken.

“No!” she screamed, beating at the arms that held her. “Let go! I have to save her! I

have to—”

“You already did!” Clay shouted then lowered his voice. “Darlin’, look. Look. Can’t

you see you already did?”

Rusty’s head whipped around to look. Sure enough the wound had stopped

bleeding.

“But the bullet’s still in there,” she whispered. “Clay, we have to get the vet here

quick or infection will set in and—”

“I’m on it, baby,” he interrupted, pulling his cell phone from his belt and dialing as

he spoke.

“Yeah, hey. Clay Russell over her at Blackhawk Ranch. We’ve got a horse with a

gun shot. We’ve stopped the bleeding but the bullet needs to come out.”

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He listened to the response then replied, “Will do. Half an hour.”

Rusty looked up at him as he ended the call. “Doc said to bandage it up and get her

in the trailer. He’ll be set up to operate as soon as I get her there.”

She nodded silently. Together they got the mare to her feet. Rusty led her toward

the barn as Clay ran and hooked up his truck to one of the trailers. Working together,

they had the mare loaded and bandaged inside of ten minutes.

“Come on,” he said as he secured the door to the trailer.

Rusty stepped back, shaking her head. “You take her. Someone has to stay here. Get

the rest of the stock into the stalls.”

“Rusty, whoever shot her is still out there. You can’t stay. Either come with me or

you go and I’ll stay here.”

“No.”

“Rusty, listen to reason. There’s someone out there with—”

“Clay, I know what I’m doing,” she interrupted softly. “Please. Trust me. I can

handle this. Just get Blackberry to the vet.”

Clay started to argue but she took his arm, squeezing urgently. “Please, I need to

know that she’s being taken care of. And I
need
to take care of the stock. I promise, no

harm will come to them or me while you’re gone.”

He opened his mouth again to argue but decided against it when he saw the lights

start to dance in her eyes, and heard Koda’s voice in his mind.
I will safeguard her,

human. Go do what needs to be done. We will be here when you return.

Clay looked down at Koda then at Rusty. She nodded and stood up on tiptoes to

place a soft kiss on his lips. “Come home to me,” she whispered then released him and

hurried toward the paddock, whistling for the horses as she went.

“You find the bastard that did this,” Clay said to Koda. “Don’t hurt him. Just find

him and get me a name.”

And then?

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“Then this shit stops,” Clay growled.

Koda cocked his head, regarded Clay for a brief moment then turned and ran

toward the paddock where Rusty was already herding the horses toward the paddock

gate.

Clay climbed in the truck, cut one look over his shoulder at the brave woman he

loved, then started the truck and pulled away.

Rusty watched the truck disappear from sight. She knew Clay didn’t understand

why she wouldn’t go with him. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she was afraid

he would be the next in the rifle sights if he stayed.

She finished getting the horses into their stalls and feeding them, then she and Koda

walked together to the barn door.

Rusty put her hand on Koda’s head. “It’s the Stikeleathers. They’re the ones behind

all this, Koda. Question is, why can’t the law pin them? They’re not that smart.”

One of them is.

Rusty cut him a sharp look. A split second later her eyes widened. “Of course!

Davy. That smarmy little slime.”

Don’t underestimate your opponent. He has successfully outwitted your law and avoided

capture thus far.

“You’re right. But…” She turned to Koda with a grin. “I do have one ace left up my

sleeve.”

Koda laughed.
I was wondering how long it would take for you to realize that there are