kept his eyes on her. He grasped her about the waist and pulled her from his horse, holding her at eye level with her feet dangling in the air.
“Brandon, come and get Thunder. I want you to cool him off, give him a rub down and some feed,” Clay commanded as his ranch hand appeared.
“Sure thing, boss.”
Tara felt her cheeks pinken with the knowledge Brandon could see the way Clay held her off the ground with ease.
“Please put me down, Clay.”
“No,” Clay replied.
Tara’s world spun so fast her vision blurred. She was hanging upside down over Clay’s hard, muscular shoulder, her head hanging down to his lower back. He had an arm wrapped around her knees, and a large hand was spread over the cheeks of her ass. He turned around and headed for the house and didn’t stop until he gently placed her on the bed.
“As much as I like you wearing my clothes, baby, get them off. Now,” Clay demanded forcefully.
“What? What for?”
“I’m at the end of my tether, Tara. Get. Your. Clothes. Off. Now.”
Tara moved fast, surprising herself at her own speed and agility. She was off the bed and standing on the other side before Clay had a chance to stop her. The look he gave her was so predatory she could feel her heart racing. Johnny entered the bedroom and stood with his hips thrust forward in an impressive display of dominance. Tara stepped back and knew she was in trouble, cornered, trapped, when her back hit the wall.
“I found Tara sitting on the ground when I got back from town bawling her eyes out. Do you want to know what she said?” Johnny asked Clay without taking his eyes from her.
“Tell me,” Clay replied.
“She said she can’t do this anymore. She’s sick of being lonely and alone. She said she has no friends, not even us. She said she never had us because she found us in the barn fucking that woman the day she was leaving town.”
“What? Is that what you think, Tara?” Clay asked, moving toward the end of the bed.
Tara couldn’t answer Clay. She stood in shock as the two men she had grown up with looked at her with hunger in their eyes. She pushed herself back into the corner of the room. Her heart was beating a rapid staccato as she panted air in and out of her lungs quickly. She licked her dry lips, keeping her eyes on the two men moving forward with slow, measured steps.
“Answer me, now. Or I swear to God I will strip you naked, put you over my knee, and paddle your ass,” Clay bit out between clenched teeth.
Hearing the words she just said coming out of Johnny’s mouth gave Tara pause. She had never been a quitter, and she could tell by the looks on Clay’s and Johnny’s faces she had scared them with her words. She wanted to explain how she felt at the time she’d spouted those words, but she didn’t know if they would believe her.
Tara was too afraid to answer. She didn’t want to be distracted. She felt her pussy clench with need. Excitement permeated her body, making her nipples pucker and thrust against the fabric of the shirt. For the first time in six years, she felt alive again. She wanted to smile, but bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from doing so. Clay would see her smile as a taunt, a challenge, and she knew he wouldn’t back down. He never had. But she had waited for this moment for years, and there was no way in hell she was letting it pass. So she decided to goad Clay into giving her what she wanted.
“Game on!” Tara stated firmly.
“Oh, you are in so much trouble, baby. You know the rules. When I ask you a question or tell you to do something, you obey. I am going to tan your ass good, but this time I’m not doing it through your clothes. I am going to strip you naked. Your ass is going to be bright pink by the time I finish with you,” Clay stated.
They were moving in on her, and Tara only had one way to go. Up and over the bed. She moved quickly, jumped onto the bed, and gave a scream of frustration as one of her ankles was