“Takeyour ass, you mean?”

Shenodded furiously.

“Honey,I can see the thought scares you to death. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.If you don’t want to try it, then we won’t. Obviously you’ve had a badexperience with it or something to make you so afraid.” He skimmed his handover her breasts bringing the peaks to hard little points. “You like a little painwith your sex, but I won’t do anything beyond what you can handle.”

“Thankyou.”

“Relax,darlin’.” He helped her roll over, rubbing her shoulders turning them to mushin the process. He kissed her butt cheeks before he smacked each one in turnjust enough to make her wet. His fingers probed at her pussy, driving two indeep as he finger fucked her for several minutes. She moaned as she closed hereyes. Her thighs spread of their own accord. She had no will to do anything butlet him to whatever he wanted to her.

Hehelped her rise up on her knees, bracing herself on her folded arms. “Fuck me,Joel.”

“OhI intend to, darlin’.”

Shefelt his cock nudge at her pussy and groaned as he sank balls deep inside her.

“God,you’re tight, babe.”

“Youfeel amazing.”

“Holdon, honey. I’m gonna fuck you hard.”

Heset up a steady, ass thumping rhythm, throwing her head over heels into ascreaming orgasm almost immediately, but he didn’t stop. He continued to poundinto her, shaking the mattress on the frame and banging the headboard againstthe wall.

“AhGod, Joel!”

“Youcan come again. I know you can. Squeeze me with that hot pussy of yours.”

Thesecond she exploded into another orgasm, she heard him lose control. He growledlow in his throat and lost the rhythmic pounding of his hips to a completelyuncoordinated cadence as he shot his sperm into the condom.

“You’regonna be the death of me.”

“Nah,you’re a man. You can handle it.” She giggled as she smacked him on the buttcheek the moment he let her out of her bindings.

“Hey.I’m supposed to do the ass warmin’.”

“Whatyou aren’t a switch?”

Hewithdrew from her and sat up on the side of the bed with a puzzled look on hisgorgeous face. “What do you know about being a switch?”

“Nota lot. I’ve read some romances with BDSM in it. I don’t know how much of it istrue, but it interests me.”

“Doesit, now. Hmm. Maybe we need to explore a bit more while you’re here.”

“Somuch for not ravishing the guests.”

Hefrowned and reached for his pants. “Don’t get me wrong, we have to be careful,but there’s a lot of fun to be had. We just can’t let anyone know what’s happeningbetween us.”

“Wehave to keep this a secret? Seriously?” she asked, pulling the sheet up tocover her breasts.

“Wehad some good sex, Mesa. Nothin’ more. If we tell anyone in my family, especially mymother, she’ll have us married and havin’ kids beforethe end of the week,” he said from the bathroom. “Besides, the fuck was almostthe best I’ve ever had.”

“Almost?”she snapped, fury rushing through her at his offhanded compliment, thenslamming her back down with it being almost the best he’s ever had. God, I’m such an idiot!

“Easy,Mesa. I didn’t mean anythin’ by it,” he replied,coming out with his pants on but not buttoned.

“Yeah.Tonight was a test. Just a quick fuck, with the potential formore during my stay. I get it, Joel.” She grabbed her clothes from thefloor, struggling to snap herself back into her bra with about as much grace asan octopus.

“Whatare you doin’, darlin’?” Hetouched her shoulder but she shrugged him off.

“Don’tdarlin’ me. I want you to take me back to the lodge or I’ll walk.”

“Noyou won’t.”

“Yes,I will. Don’t tell me what to do. You might be able to dominate me in bed, butI’m my own person and I don’t take kindly to men telling me what to do. I havea mind of my own. I can make my own decisions.” She flipped her hair out of thecollar of her shirt as she slipped her tennis shoes on her feet. “Are you gonnatake me back?”

“Fine,”he growled, tugging the T-shirt she’d been wearing on.

Hismagnificent chest disappeared from view. She bit her lips to keep from moaningat the loss. “Fine.”

Heslid on a pair of flip-flops, then stood there impatiently tapping his foot.Without another word, she headed for the door with him on her heels. So muchfor a great evening spent in the arms of a hot cowboy. Yeah, they’d had greatsex but the minute things got a little testy, they were at each other’sthroats. He wouldn’t tell his family they were sleeping together because hedidn’t want his mother playing matchmaker. Well, she didn’t want that either.He didn’t have to make it sound like a huge mistake for them to make love. Nowshe felt used and cheap.

Severalmoments later, they pulled up in front of the lodge. She didn’t even wait forhim to come around and open the door. She just hopped out on her own, slammedthe truck door and headed for the house. Joel sprayed gravel as he backed outand then sped off down the driveway.

Tearsrolled down her cheeks. God, I’ve beensuch an idiot where he’s concerned. Goodlookin’ cowboy is all it takes. I’m all over it andhim.

“Greatjob, Mesa. Sleep with the man. What a fuckin’ wasteof time.”

Thedoor to the lodge opened in front of her, and then closed as a cowboy shedidn’t recognize came out.

“Ma’am.”He tipped his hat and walked down the stairs. She shook her head as she turnedto see where he was going, but he’d disappeared.

“Allright. I’m gonna have to ask someone. This is getting too weird for me. Doorsopen and close without anyone around, voices and knocks on my door when thereis no one there, people disappearing without a trace.”

Sheopened the door and walked inside. The house was quiet. No one stirred. Sheheaded across the dining room toward the stairs to go to her room when goosebumps started to rise on her arms. The air turned colder. She glanced back atthe door she’d just come through in time to see it open, and then closed on itsown.

Justa little freaked out, she ran up the stairs. She fumbled with the key to herroom for a moment before sprinting through the door and slamming it sharplybehind her.

* * * *

Joelstepped through the door of his cabin, flinging the keys to his truck againstthe wall. Frustration, anger and just a little bit of fear raced through him. How could things have gotten so screwed up?What the hell did I say to piss her off so badly?

“Isaid it was good sex. What the hell more does she want? I certainly can’t letmy family know we slept together. Mom would have a coronary or have us in frontof a preacher as soon as she could arrange it.” He tossed off his flip-flopsand dropped onto the sofa. His cell phone jingled in his pocket. “Yeah,” heanswered after he’d pulled it out.

“What’sup, bro?”

“Whatdo you want, Jacob?”

“Ithought I’d check in with you. I thought I saw you drop Mesa off at the lodge.”

“Idid.”

“And?”

“What?She’s majorly fuckin’ pissed at me for some damnreason.”

“Whatthe hell did you do?”

“Idon’t fuckin’ know. That’s just it.” He raked hisfingers through his hair. “I mean we had great sex. I thought everythin’ was great. She got a burr under her blanket andinsisted I take her back.”

“Tellme what you said.”

 “I told her we couldn’t let anyone know what’shappened between us.”

“Shesaid, we have to keep this a secret and I said yes. We had some good sex, Mesa.Nothin’more. If we tell anyone in my family, especially my mother, she’ll haveus married and havin’ kids before the end of theweek. Then I said, besides, the fuck was almost the best I’ve ever had.”

“Holyshit! Are you fuckin’ dense man?”

“What?”

“Youtold her she was almost the best. Youmight as well tell her she’s okay in the sack. You never tell a woman they arealmost the best you ever had. Then you told her you couldn’t tell anyone you’dbeen together.”