Boots and Bareback: Ugly Stick Saloon, Book 3 Read online

  Because of her failed love life, she needed this job and the money she could earn through tips. She was saving to buy back Sundance before her ex sold the horse at auction. No amount of tips from waiting tables would add up fast enough to cover the cost of the thoroughbred horse. She needed a way to make big bucks quick. Perhaps this mechanical horse gig would be her ticket.

  When the band played a sexy, swaying melody, Isabella motioned for Jackson to switch the horse into a slower, more sensuous action. More capable of holding on with only a light touch, Isabella closed her eyes and imagined herself in another place, a place where she could ride Sundance bareback across lush green fields of hay. The music filled her, dancing and swaying all around, her body moving to the gentle rhythm, her mind entering another dimension, one in which her body ignited and her core heated to molten levels. Wearing nothing but a bikini and chaps, she could imagine all kinds of sexy, naughty things she could do alone with herself or with a man…or men…who knew what it took to please her.

  That’s where her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Daniel, had gone wrong. He’d been frustrated and finally insulted that he couldn’t get her off. No amount of foreplay on his part brought her to orgasm. Sweet-talk or Daniel’s hands sliding across her skin hadn’t brought her to that elusive climax she craved, not that Daniel spent a whole lot of time pleasing her. When she didn’t come within five minutes of trying, he blamed her and went on about the act of screwing her, calling her frigid and the ice queen.

  Isabella’s chest constricted. Maybe she was frigid. She’d never considered herself sexy, why should anyone else?

  She should have ended their association before it had come to a boiling point. Then maybe Daniel wouldn’t have been such a dick about Sundance, the horse she’d raised since he was a gangly colt, all legs and no coordination, her only true friend in this crazy, mixed-up world. He’d been a gift from her father.

  Sundance had won his first three races, the long shot, coming out of nowhere, attracting the attention of the Circle C Ranch, who’d made an offer to purchase him.

  Isabella had refused to sell, until that fateful day her parents were involved in a tragic automobile accident, killing her father and confining her mother to a hospital bed for several months before she gave up and died. Everything, including their home and property, went to paying off the medical bills and still, it wasn’t enough. Isabella had been forced to sell Sundance to the Circle C Ranch. Fortunately, they’d offered her a job caring for him and the other thoroughbreds. That seemed like so long ago. Now she worked at the Ugly Stick Saloon and she hadn’t seen Sundance in six months, although she’d followed his track statistics.

  Isabella leaned over the mechanical horse’s back, pretending to ride like the wind, trying to forget for the moment how much she missed her horse. Someone stuck a riding crop in her hand and she tapped it against her thigh. She’d never used one on Sundance.

  A roar of approval rose from the crowd of men, prompting Isabella to open her eyes, reminding her of where she was.

  She tapped the crop to her ass and more bills floated to the floor at the base of the imitation horse. Hmmm. This could be lucrative. All she had to do was pretend to like a little whip action and the men went wild. Her pussy tightened. Maybe it wasn’t all pretending and she wasn’t as frigid as Daniel thought.

  She arched her back and ran one hand up her side to cup her breast, the other hand rose to lightly tap the crop against her other breast, drawing it across the tip and down the center of her cleavage. The leather against her skin sent heat radiating downward to where her cunt slid across the smooth back of the horse. This could be addictive.

  “She’s so hot, I’m gonna come!” One cowboy cried out, whipping his hat from his head to fan the front of his jeans.

  “Keep it in your pants, George. I’m gonna marry that girl.” Another cowboy dropped to his knees. “Marry me, Isabella.”

  Isabella laughed, pressing a hand to her chest, the crop clutched tightly in her fist. Maybe she was going too far with the sexy vamp thing. Maybe she was getting off a little more than she’d intended. Her eyes widened. Hell, she was getting off. By herself. Without a man…a miracle as far as her ex was concerned. Her ego took a leap.

  “More! We want more!” The men surged forward, jockeying for position at the front of the line.

  Jackson Gray Wolf stepped out front, crossing his arms. “Back off!”

  “Come on, Jackson, you’re blocking the view.” A burly man in dusty jeans and a wife-beater shirt lumbered forward. “We wanna see her ride bareback.”

  Jackson held his ground. “Back up and I’ll consider moving. Be a jerk and the show’s over.”

  The men behind the big burly cowboy yelled at him, “Get back, George, we wanna watch.”

  “Move it, cowboy.”

  “Let her ride!” A bigger guy than wife-beater-shirt reached out and pulled the obnoxious one out of the way.

  Isabella breathed a sigh. One of the O’Brien men. Gabe, she remembered from the time he’d asked her out, shortly after she’d arrived at the Ugly Stick. She’d considered going out with him, but it had been too soon after Daniel dumped her.

  At least Gabe wasn’t obnoxious like the wife-beater. Still, he looked as hot and bothered as the rest of them, his jeans tight around the groin area. Based on the swell, he had a real boner going there.

  Another twinge of excitement nudged at her core. The rocking action of the horse, the feel of leather in her hands and the sight of a handsome aroused man, a gentleman cowboy to boot, all added up to turning her on. Too bad Daniel hadn’t figured that out. Then she wouldn’t be missing Sundance and wondering when she’d ever see him again. And that was the reason she’d stayed so long with Daniel. The horse. Not the man.

  A toothless cowboy surged forward. Jackson cut him off before he reached Isabella.

  What would she have done if Jackson hadn’t been there to ward off unwanted attention and groping by the drunks in the saloon? Isabella longed for the wide-open spaces of a ranch where she could get away from the crowds.

  What she wouldn’t give to be doing what she loved the most, working with horses on a large horse ranch. Not that she didn’t appreciate all that Audrey had done for her. If it hadn’t been for Audrey and the Ugly Stick Saloon, she’d be on the street, flat broke with no way of earning enough money to keep her afloat, much less have any chance in hell of buying her horse from Daniel.

  If only she could earn the money faster. She knew that if Daniel couldn’t get Sundance to win the next two races, he’d have the horse up on the auction block. Isabella had been the only handler who could work with the horse. The only one who knew how Sundance operated.

  The thoroughbred racehorse responded to light nudges, not heavy-handed whipping with a riding crop. Knowing Daniel, he’d gone right to using the crop to get the horse to move. Maybe even out of spite for Isabella’s departure. And when Sundance wouldn’t respond, Daniel would have blamed Isabella.

  Yes, she should have gotten out of that poisonous relationship earlier. She would have, if not for Sundance. Instead, she’d stayed at the Circle C Ranch, working for Daniel and his mother, training and caring for the racehorses until Daniel had fired her as a girlfriend and horse trainer.

  Now the closest she’d gotten to a horse was riding the mechanical horse at the Ugly Stick. Which hadn’t been as bad as she’d thought it would be. For some strange reason, the rocking motion, the audience of aroused men and the leather crop combined had given her a bigger charge than she’d felt in a long time. Had she been a man, she’d leave the stage with a hard-on. As it was, she felt all warm and wet and ready for anything.

  The music ended and Isabella sat for a moment, reining in her lusty thoughts.

  Three tall, dark-haired cowboys slid past Jackson and held out their hands to her. Ah, yes, the handsome O’Briens.

  Her belly tightened and a rush of heat pooled even lower. Strong, healthy cowboys always held a soft spot in her heart
and a hot spot elsewhere. Especially these three. They’d all asked her out at one time. She’d been too freshly rejected by Daniel to even consider dating at the time. And they hadn’t asked her again.

  “Let me help you down.” The oldest, Gabe O’Brien, held out his hands.

  She brushed them aside. “I can get down on my own.” Because she was in such a heightened sense of arousal, she couldn’t risk letting a man touch her intimately. Not now. Besides, she didn’t need a man to help her off a horse, real or mechanical. She slid her leg over the smooth fiberglass body of the horse and dropped to the ground, forgetting it was a little higher than the platform the mechanical horse was attached to.

  Tanner, another of the O’Brien men caught her, pulling her against his hard chest to steady her. “Are you okay?”

  His breath stirred tendrils of hair near her ear, sending all kinds of shivery shards of electricity bouncing off her skin. “I’m fine.” Again, she had to remind herself she didn’t need a man in her life. The previous one had ruined her, making her think she didn’t have a romantic or erotic bone in her body.

  Then why, when Tanner’s hands circled her waist, had her body ignited and her breath lodged in her throat?

  She’d gone almost six months without a man and Daniel hadn’t gotten her as excited during her year-long relationship as the O’Brien men had in less than a second.

  Probably because she’d gone six months without any sex. One time with Tanner and she’d be bored and unable to reach that elusive orgasm she’d been longing for, going on a year and a half.

  His hands moved lower, curving over her hips. “Would you care to dance?”

  “He’s got two left cowboy boots.” Sean O’Brien stepped up to Isabella. “Dance with me. I, at least, can do a decent two-step.”

  Gabe shook his head. “Give the gal some room to breathe, guys.” He held out his hand. “She’s not interested.”

  Gabe’s commanding voice captured Isabella’s attention and without thinking, she put her hand in his.

  He extricated her from his brother’s arms and led her several steps away. “You make riding bareback an experience that bears watching.” Lifting her hand, he turned it over and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Thank you.” Then he dropped her hand. “Come on, Tanner, Sean. Leave her alone.”

  “But, she didn’t say no to the dance,” Sean argued, his smile turning full-force on Isabella. “Well?”

  The younger O’Brien’s grin was infectious and Isabella couldn’t help returning his smile with a little shake of her head. “Sorry, I have to get back to work.”

  Tanner lifted his cowboy hat. “Thank you for a great show, ma’am.”

  With that, the three O’Brien men walked back to their table and sat.

  Isabella’s brows furrowed as she headed back to the dressing room where she could change into her cutoffs, tank top and cowboy boots, each of the O’Brien men on her mind. All of them as tall as church steeples, broad-shouldered and sun-kissed from working outside. Her dormant sex drive kicked up, reminding her that she was a young female with needs, not a dried-up old biddy. Following on the heels of that thought was the echo of Daniel’s parting words. A man wants to know he can make his woman as hot as she makes him. You bring nothing to that table, lady.

  For the past six months, Isabella had believed that. Bumping into the O’Briens made her think perhaps she wasn’t as frigid as Daniel made her out to be. Too bad, she wasn’t interested in testing that theory. God forbid Daniel might be right.

  Her belly tightened and her pussy throbbed.

  Or was she just frightened by the intensity of the heat roiling inside her body at the mere thought of going out with one of the O’Brien men?

  Chapter Two

  Gabe sat at the table, nursing his beer, watching for when Isabella emerged from the back room behind the bar. “Maybe Dad’s got a point.”

  “What? Don’t tell me you’re buying into that find one before all the good ones are gone bullshit?” Tanner shook his head. “I’m not ready to go running after a woman just because Dad says we’re getting old. Been there, done that, got the scars to prove it.”

  “You went after the wrong woman, Tanner. Don’t paint them all with the same brush as Lucy.” Sean patted his brother’s back. “You can’t let one woman turn you against all of them.”

  Tanner crossed his arms. “Who said I was?”

  “Have you been out on a date since Lucy ditched you over a year ago?”

  “Yes, plenty.”

  “How about a second date?” Sean persisted.

  Tanner’s lips thinned. “So, they weren’t right for me. Why drag it out?”

  “Think about it,” Gabe said. “Jesse’s getting married. He’s the youngest.”

  “No, Molly’s the youngest,” Tanner interjected.

  “Of the men, dumbass.” Gabe focused on the door leading to the storeroom and backstage. “Isabella is single, isn’t she? She’s not hiding a husband somewhere, is she?”

  “As far as I know she isn’t married.” Tanner’s eyes narrowed. “Now, wait a minute. I saw her first.”

  “Like hell you did.” Sean leaned forward. “Besides, you’re not interested in running after women.” He nodded toward a duded-up cowboy. “Maybe he’s more your style.”

  Tanner rose, his fist clenched. “That’s not what I said. And you’re right. Isabella’s different—nothin’ like Lucy.”

  “Forget it. You two are too young for Isabella, anyway.” Gabe set his beer on the table. “She’s too much for both of you to handle. It will take a real man to win her over.”

  Tanner snorted. “Well that would rule you out. When were you ever in a lasting relationship?”

  Gabe bristled. “I’ve been in relationships.”

  Sean’s brows rose. “Yeah. The longest one lasting…what…all of two weeks before you started feeling hemmed in and dropped her like a hot branding iron?”

  “I’d call that being allergic to commitment.” Tanner’s lips quirked upward in an almost smile.

  Gabe wanted to punch both of his brothers for being way too close to the truth. “A man can change.”

  “Uh-huh. Right.” Sean shook his head.

  “We’ll see.” Anger spurred Gabe to action.

  “Wait a minute.” Tanner’s hand shot out, grabbing Gabe’s arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Gabe stared at Tanner’s hand. “Gonna see a man about a horse, and I don’t need you to unzip my pants.”

  Tanner let go of Gabe’s arm. “Reckon you can manage on your own.”

  “Your confidence overwhelms me.” Gabe chuckled and strode toward the men’s room. Halfway there, he shot a quick glance behind him.

  Tanner’s attention had returned to the dance floor.

  Good.

  Gabe veered toward the back of the bar where Isabella had disappeared, slipping past Greta Sue, the bouncer, when she wasn’t looking. He had to get Isabella alone.

  His father had been right. He hadn’t been persistent in pursuing Isabella. Gabe figured it was about time to get serious and see where things went. What was the worst that could happen?

  She could say no again.

  Gabe refused to take no for an answer. He just needed to turn up the O’Brien charm.

  In the hallway leading to the rear exit, he ducked his head into the storeroom. Empty. He followed the hallway to the back room that comprised the back of the stage and the costume room that held all the costumes for stripper night at the saloon.

  Isabella stood with her back to him, struggling to untie the red bikini strap around her neck.

  Gabe stood stock-still; his heart thundered and his breath labored.

  The woman was beautiful, slender and athletic, legs from her toes to her chin. Without trying, she had a natural grace in every movement. Her long, luxurious hair reached her waist, skimming across the top of her low-riding bikini bottoms.

  Gabe wanted to bury his hands in her curls, and his cock in…
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br />   Isabella sighed, her hands falling to her sides, the knot at her neck remaining tangled.

  Apparently she hadn’t heard Gabe enter, the noise and music from the bar drowning out his footsteps.

  He cleared his throat and entered the room. “Can I help you with that?”

  She started and swung to face him, her hand holding the bikini bra against her breasts. “What are you doing back here?”

  Gabe smiled. “Looking for you.”

  “Didn’t you see the Employees Only sign?” She frowned, standing there in nothing but the red bikini and looking good enough to eat, one lick at a time.

  “I chose to ignore it. I wanted to see you.”

  She snorted. “Well, you’ve gotten an eyeful, now leave.” Isabella pointed toward the door.

  Gabe leaned against the doorjamb. “You look like you could use a hand untying that.”

  “I can manage, thank you very much.”

  “No, really, let me help.” He pushed away from the doorjamb and closed the distance between them. “I promise not to do anything…you don’t want me to.”

  She snorted again, but didn’t argue.

  He moved around behind her and grasped the knot. “You were great out there tonight,” he said softly, while working the fabric loose.

  “Thanks.” She stood with her hands pressed to her bikini bra, her long, dark hair hanging down over one shoulder. “Felt strange riding a mechanical horse. I’m used to the real deal.”

  He couldn’t help that his knuckles brushed against the smooth skin at the back of her neck or that the curve of her waist and the crease disappearing into the back of her bikini bottoms was wreaking all kinds of havoc, making his jeans so tight he could hardly stand it. “You ride much?” God, he’d like to ride her.