The Love Goddess Brands Her Cowboys (6 page)

“Just tell me you’re all right, babe. That’s all I want to hear.”

“Oh, Cowboy, I’m fine, better than ever, as a matter of fact.” She did remember one thing she’d learned in Love Goddess classes. “We are more responsive than most creatures, especially when the sex is good. And what you did…it was better than good!”

“Better than good,” Chad said with a smile. “I guess I can accept that.” Chad lifted her and held her on his lap, cuddling her close to him. “I’ll go easy on you then,” he said, his voice fretful.

She pulled back and kissed his lips quickly. “Don’t you dare!” she admonished. “That was the best thing that ever happened to me. I want you to do your worst.”

It took him a few seconds but he pulled back to look straight into her gaze, sending electric shocks between the two of them that made her shiver with delight. Finally, he smiled. “If you insist,” he said, and he looked so silly and hot, hatless now with his dark hair spilled all over his face and a boyish smile lighting up his eyes that she lost her heart.

Mother, can you please tell me what’s going on here?
This couldn’t be a normal response to a human. It just couldn’t be. She rushed her telepathic message.

“
Darling
,” her mother responded, and Star was happy to hear from her.
“You’re a young lady now, and you have to figure this out yourself. I’m sorry and I love you, but I must say good-bye for now.”

Star frowned as she snuggled into Chad’s warm, damp heavenly smelling skin, trying hard to think out-of-the-box. Something was going on and if she could only figure out what it was, maybe she’d become a true Love Goddess at last, rather than just a princess. The two of them were far too tuned in to one another for this to be a normal human/Love Princess mating. Maybe she should forget universal rules and just go with her heart.

Norris was surprised and a little irritated to find himself in Texas but that’s where his trusted magic carpet had brought him with a thud that almost unseated him. He held on with both hands realizing that he could smell his third cousin’s distinctive feminine scent. Star! He was delighted that she didn’t seem to know how hot she was or how powerful she could become. He’d always known it would make her easy pickings for him and he wasn’t going to let her maidenly shyness upset his plans for conquest. His dick stirred inside his sweatpants. Before he hunted for her, maybe he would bed a human for practice. At the thought, his carpet thumped down in front of a coffee shop with some rough looking male humans exchanging raunchy laughter and some sweet looking cowgirls flirting with them across tables.

Unfortunately, his carpet was fairly accurate but never exactly precise, so he knew that Star wouldn’t be in there, although she was probably within one hundred miles. Might as well drink some coffee, which he liked and was not available on Venus, and try to attract one of the lovelies at the same time.

He blinked more appropriate clothing on himself, including a cowboy hat, and strolled inside the shop, walking up to the counter. A pretty young woman with a healthy coffee colored complexion and bright smile greeted him. “What will you have, sir?”

Was she flirting with him? It was unfair that he didn’t know.  He knew he was no beauty, and unfortunately his magic had its limitations…he couldn’t blink himself a new face and body…but humans were so primitive. Maybe the women here would actually like him for a change. Flashing his best smile, he leaned on the counter and said, “I think I’d like to have
you
, miss. Are you available?”

Before she could answer, he found himself on the ground, his jaw smarting. When he looked up, he realized that the woman had clobbered him with a purse. She stared at him with revulsion.

“Git him out of here!” some large man running up to the young woman cried out, angrily.

The next thing he knew, he was belly down in the grass outside the coffee shop, spitting out mud. Furious, he jumped to his feet and blinked to make the entire coffee house collapse, but his magic didn’t work. Incredulous, he tried again. Still nothing.
That’s something I should be able to do!

“I’m tracking you, bro. Your magic is on hold, per the Gods of Venus, until you behave yourself! Come back here and leave Star alone!”

Norris walked away from the coffee shop in disbelief, his tread heavy, his fists balled. So his asshole Love God brother, Darin, had been warned that he was on the trail to get Star and had limited his magic. Fuck him. Fuck them all. Darin couldn’t take all of his power, and he could still track Star. Hell, he knew she was near. And once he found her, yes, if necessary, he’d force her to have sex with him. Then he’d have more power than even his damned pious father because on Venus women had more magic than men and their partners were given their degree of power. The trick would be grabbing and taking Star without her knowing it so that Star couldn’t use
her
powers.  Well, maybe he could pay some human money to drug her for him. And at this point he wouldn’t mind scaring her, even hurting her to make her more obedient. Then he could take her while she was sleeping.

First things first. He’d have to find her before his dreams could come true.

Chad was still smoking hot from the sex and from just being in Star’s incredibly sensual presence. He had never been as attracted to a woman  as he was to Star, and he wished he could take her back to his love shack again and fuck her all day, but he had things to do. As he held her tightly around her shoulders, he glanced at the corral and grinned as he saw Diego waving at him while tending to Chad’s favorite horse. “Come over here,” he said, directing Star toward his only close friend. “You can meet Diego and my horse Ace.”

As the sun spilled over them, making Chad sweat, Star breathed in and said, “He’s beautiful!”

“Ace sure is,” Chad said, smiling at his prize Arabian who was flipping his brown tail back and forth.

“No,” Star said as they approached the pasture fence. “The horse is gorgeous too, but I meant your friend!”

Chad suddenly froze, his blood running cold. He stared at his tall, muscular friend, Diego’s blue-black waves glistening under the hot sun, his big brown eyes twinkling, and his dark tanned skin pulled taut over powerful muscles. He wore no shirt and his blue jeans were tight. Hell they’d shared women before but Star was different.

Diego walked to the gate, holding Ace by the reins. “Hi, amigo!” he tossed, in his devil-may-care way that women loved. “Who is your lovely lady? I thought just last night your heart was broken? I see you recovered quickly, and no wonder. The lady is much prettier than the tramp, no?”

Chad did not know how to put his feelings into words, but he knew that Diego and Star were sending sexual signals to one another. He didn’t know how he was so sure, but he was. Feeling a strong wave of jealous possession, he let go of Star and stepped in front of her, feeling every muscle in his body tightening up. “She’s mine,” he said, and then, even as the words had popped out, he wondered at their foolishness. One night and a preview of good sex and she was his? Really? He glanced over his shoulder to glance at her expression. To his surprise, she looked pleased.

Looking back at Diego, he noticed his friend had his normal lazy grin on his face. “That was quick. Be careful with your hearts, both of you. I would never try to steal your woman, Chad.” But his twinkling eyes lit up even more as he laughed, then said, “I also wouldn’t turn down a threesome, if invited. But you know that.”

Chad again quickly glanced at Star. Did she look interested? Diego and Chad often did threesomes, although it was always clear who the woman belonged to after the sex ended. Star looked confused, but not displeased. He’d have to remember that her species was less shocked by these things than humans were.

“I don’t want to talk about this now,” Chad said in a sharp voice. “The hands will be done with breakfast soon and there’s a lot of work to do today. Worry about that and not Star, all right?”

“Star? Intriguing name.”

“I mean it.” His fists balled at his sides. He’d had enough of his handsome friend.

Diego put up his palms in surrender, still grinning. “I’ll be good,” he said. Then he looked at Star and said, “That is not easy for me, but Chad is like my brother. I hope you make him happy. He has been disappointed in love by many selfish women.”

“Enough, Diego.” Chad mumbled curses under his breath, then grabbed Star’s hand. “You see Dad yet?” he asked his friend, in a softer tone. “I’d like to get our meeting over with.”

“He got up early and I saw him go to his office,” Diego said. “I think he’s there now, if you’d like to catch him alone.”

Chad felt his blood run cold for a second. “It’s the last thing I want but I don’t have a choice.”

“Yes, you are his son and heir.” Diego looked serious now.

Chad understood Diego’s biting words. He understood how conflicted Chad was about actually inheriting the ranch. If only he had a brother…or a sister…

“Take care of my horse,” Chad mumbled, then grabbed Star’s delicate, soft, delicious feeling hand and guided her in the direction of his father’s office, a place he truly hated to go. When he saw Star looking over her shoulder at Diego, he grumbled and pulled her faster. “Stop looking at him!”

Star wished they were on Venus so she could openly masturbate. Holding Chad’s hand while looking at one hot cowboy like Diego was enough to make her want to attack Chad and take him right in front of everybody. But she knew they didn’t do shameless things like that on earth…and Chad liked to be in charge. One thing about humans, she had to say, they were a good looking bunch. She glanced up at Chad’s tight jaw and tried hard not to smile. It was flattering that he was jealous of her attraction to Diego.

“The mess hall is in there,” Chad muttered, pointing to a noisy building with an open door. A delicious aroma wafted out at her and she stared. “You hungry?”

“A little.”

He stopped then directed her into a big, very warm dining room with long tables and a slew of ranch hands, some going up to the front table for more food. A few called out to him and he grinned and waved. Although Star could feel their curiosity, Chad didn’t introduce her. He pulled her to the buffet table laden with food and told her to grab something, warning her that his father would not wait for him if they sat down to a meal. He sounded apologetic. “We can come back later, Right, Joni?” He addressed the cook who was at the stove and counters.

Star smiled at her. She was the only other creature of black skin she had seen on the ranch so far. “Try an egg and Canadian bacon croissant,” she suggested to Star.

Starr grabbed a luscious looking sandwich off one of the trays and glanced at Chad, who was only filling a coffee cup.

“Nothing else, Mr. Austin?” Joni asked.

“Not now,” he said. “I have a meeting with my father.”

Joni’s gaze dropped. “Oh, well, good luck.”

Star quickly looked over at Chad again wondering why he was so tense about seeing his father. She could feel the conflict inside him, he didn’t want to disappoint the man but he didn’t like him either. He smirked, but didn’t respond. “Come on, Star,” he said. “Let’s get going.”

Star wasted no time. She went to him, croissant in hand, and grabbed his free hand as they left the hot but great smelling mess hall.

Chad was quiet as they walked across the grass, so Star took the time to admire the interesting scenery and sniffed in the smell of fresh air and flowers. After walking for a long while over hilly grounds, they reached the ranch, a large, spacious, mostly brown home, not at all fancy, but much larger than Chad’s place.
It does look like a man’s home. It needs a woman’s touch.

Chad took his keys out of his pocket and opened the door. He took off his shoes so Star followed his lead. The carpeting was fluffy and clean, looking almost unlived in. The leather furniture, similar to Chad’s, also appeared to be unused. It smelled brand new. Chad escorted her to a closed door and knocked.

“Come in!” a rough, weathered voice called out and Chad opened the door.

Star took in a breath as stared at Chad’s imposing father, standing behind his desk. He was even taller than Chad, with thick brown hair, gray at the sides, wire glasses, a stocky build and a plaid western shirt with jeans. If he’d had a cowboy hat on, he’d have looked like some cowboy from the movies…not exactly handsome, but rugged and tough.  The first thing he did was look over at Star and ask, “Who’s this now?” His eyes flashed then turned toward Chad.

“A friend.” Chad pulled her closer, as if protecting her.

He snorted, ignoring her. “Didn’t Bella just break up with you last night? I was hoping you two could patch things up.” Finally his gaze rested on Star. “Young lady, right off I’m thinkin’ you aren’t suitable for my son so don’t get any ideas.”

Before Star could react, Chad stepped up closer to the desk and gritted his teeth then spat his father. “You don’t know anything about Star, but she is my guest for a while. I’d ask you to shut the fuck up!”

Star gasped, but the elder Austin didn’t even flinch.

“She reminds me of your damn mother!” he bellowed, then he turned his head.

“I do?” Star couldn’t help but laugh and stick up for herself. “Do I look like her or something?” She laughed again.

“What the hell do you mean?” Chad asked his father, in an angry voice.

The older man shook his head. “I can’t explain it, all right? Of course she didn’t
look
like her, but…her voice…her presence…bah! Forget about it. She won’t last.  I have a chore for you to do for the ranch.”

Star took Chad’s hand and could feel his uber-tight muscles. She stroked the back of his hand with her thumb, hoping to calm him; wishing she could tell him that his father was onto something…

“All right, get it over with,” Chad said, his chin high.

“I can’t do shit with Old Man Withers,” Chad’s father said, in a disgusted Texan drawl. “You know seventy acres of adjoining land is for sale.”