On His Ranch by Dinah McLeod

Chapter 6

When sunlight hit her in the face, Piper rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Unfortunately for her, once she was up she almost never could fall asleep again. Finally, she stopped trying to fight it and opened her eyes. She yawned when she sat up, stretching her arms above her head.

Huh. She’d thought maybe it would be late afternoon, or dark even, but the window showed a bright blue sunny day. Her eyes were drawn to the nightstand and when she read 8:31 a.m. on the clock, panic seized her.

How could I sleep an entire day away?

It didn’t seem possible, but as soon as she threw the covers back and stood up, she knew it was. Her stomach hadn’t felt this empty in as long as she could remember. Even ramen noodles or the cheap crap she could afford was better than sleeping through two meals entirely.

As soon as she opened the door, the delicious smells of cooking food greeted her nose. She tried to be as quiet as possible as she made her way downstairs, but Patti didn’t seem surprised when she entered the kitchen.

“Mornin’, sleepyhead,” she greeted her, as though she’d been coming down those same stairs forever.

“Morning.” She stared down at the floor sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry for?” the older woman asked.

“It looks like I slept all yesterday. I didn’t mean to inconvenience you.”

Patti clicked her tongue. “Nonsense. You didn’t bother anyone, and you must have needed the rest. Now, if you’re hankerin’ for something to do, you can help me with breakfast.”

“Yes, please,” she agreed eagerly. “What can I do?”

“Are you any good at makin’ grits?”

“Not as good as you, I bet. But I can make them from a package with a microwave.” Piper could tell by the look that crossed Patti’s face that it was the wrong answer.

“Well, never mind, I’ll show you.”

Thus began a cooking lesson Piper hadn’t known she’d be getting, but nonetheless enjoyed. Patti was either a misplaced hostess with few opportunities to showcase her skills, or else she just liked to watch people eat, because the enthusiasm and passion she had for food was undeniable.

“You want to keep stirrin’, don’t stop now,” she instructed, watching from over Piper’s shoulder.

“Like this?”

“Yep.” Patti laughed. “You could stir with the best of them.”

She could feel her cheeks flush with heat. “Sorry. I just don’t know how to cook.”

“Your aunt never taught you?”

“No, ma’am. My aunt is a busy woman,” she added, feeling the need to defend the only family she had left. “She works a lot.”

“Yes, I think you mentioned that yesterday. In any event, you’re not doin’ a thing wrong. I think you’d probably enjoy it more if you loosened up a bit, though.”

“I’ll try.”

“Now, the grits are cooked and there’s no water left. See?”

Piper looked at the bottom of the pan as she stirred and nodded her agreement.

“Okay, so now you stir in your toppings. I have crumbled bacon, three different kinds of cheese, whatever you want.”

“How do you make it?”

“This isn’t about me, you’re makin’ ‘em. The hard part’s over, you can’t mess this up.”

Piper stopped to stare at her, her eyes wide. “But—”

“Keep stirrin’!” Patti reminded her.

She turned back to the stove, quickly moving the grits with her spoon. “But Patti…”

But the older woman had left the kitchen. Piper could still hear her, rummaging in the pantry and humming to herself, pretending she couldn’t hear.

Fine. I guess I’m on my own.After a few minutes of staring at the rows of ingredients in front on her, she settled on butter, bacon, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. She turned the burner on low and kept stirring, watching as the ingredients melded together. As the last second, she added a few tablespoons of heavy cream and combined it with a few more stirs.

As though Patti could sense she had finished, the woman magically appeared at her shoulder, sniffing appreciatively. “Looks good. Smells better.” She clapped her on the shoulder approvingly.

She was beaming as she set the table. How was it possible that she felt so at home in Patti’s kitchen after knowing her less than twenty-four hours and still felt like an outsider at her aunt’s?

She was so lost in her thoughts that Piper didn’t even hear the door. She didn’t know they had company until she heard Chase’s low southern drawl as he spoke to his mother.

Before she could turn around, he was behind her, his long, strong arm with fine, almost translucent hairs reaching around her as he fiddled with the silverware. It felt like an embrace, and she turned to look at him, her eyes wide.

“Forks on the right,” he said, tipping her a wink.

“Stop teasing her,” Patti scolded. “You know we don’t do formal here.”

Before either of them could answer—though Piper’s tongue felt flat and useless as she was mesmerized by the look in Chase’s dark, powerful gaze. Somehow, it seemed even more captivating than it had yesterday. Was it possible that the power he held over her had gotten stronger even while she slept?—Senior walked inside and conversation shifted to include him.

Then they were all at the table, laughing and passing dishes around, loading plates down with crispy waffles and savory sausage patties. Patti apparently considered it her life’s mission to feed people, because every time Piper scraped her plate clean her hostess would say, “More?” and put another waffle or a scoop of grits on her plate before she could answer.

“I don’t know what you did to these grits, Ma, but I think they’re your best effort yet,” Chase announced.

Piper flushed and looked down at the table, surprised and pleased.

“He’s right.” Senior patted his belly. “You’ve outdone yourself. At this rate, I’ma be too tired to head back out.”

“Actually, Piper made them,” Patti said.

“Well, how about that,” Chase drawled.

“Pretty and talented in the kitchen?” Senior added. “I look forward to learnin’ more about you, young lady.”

Her cheeks were blazing, but she couldn’t help but feel delighted by the praise.

“It was her first time, too,” Patti added. There was no missing the pride in her voice.

“Good job.”

Piper craved the sound of his voice and couldn’t resist looking up to meet his eyes. When he mouthed “Little girl” she let out a strangled sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a groan.

“Something wrong, dear?” Patti inquired.

“So, what do you have on the docket today, Piper?” Chase asked.

“Not a thing,” she put in, shooting him a small, grateful smile.

“I have a few chores I need to wrap up, but then I could give you a ride to your aunt’s, if you want.”

Piper was surprised at how quick and strong her reaction was. She didn’t want to go. In fact, the idea dismayed her more than it should have after knowing him for so short a time. But… maybe he wanted her out of his hair.

“I’m sorry I slept so much yesterday,” she said, the words timid.

“I imagine you were tired. You had a big day yesterday.” In more ways than one, his eyes said, sparkling at her.

“Yeah, that’s true… I don’t have to leave right away.” She squirmed in the chair, embarrassed by her own eagerness. Not a day went by that she didn’t hate her pale skin and her tendency to embarrass quite easily. “I know you had to work late yesterday because of me. So, I was thinking, maybe I could make it up to you.” She glanced across the table at Patti who was pretending to be too preoccupied with her coffee to pay them attention.

“What did you have in mind?”

“I thought I could help you out today. That way your chores would go twice as fast.”

“Or slow to a crawl while I teach you,” he said, deadpan.

“I think it’s a lovely offer,” Patti put in brightly. “Piper, I hope you don’t mind, I took the liberty of washing the clothes you were wearing yesterday.”

“No, not at all. Thank you,” she added, but her gaze never left Chase.

He was considering her while he sipped his coffee.

“I would be helpful. I can do things,” she added, suddenly feeling defensive. “You liked the grits.”

Chase chuckled. “Sure, I did, but you won’t be usin’ a stove out on the farm.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know that. I’m a quick learner, that’s what I’m trying to say.”

His look was appraising and intense. It would have made a less determined person give up.

Piper crossed her fingers under the table, wanting it so bad that waiting for him to make a decision felt physically painful.

“Alright, you can tag along.”

Yes!She stopped short of punching the air in victory.

“Get dressed and be outside in ten minutes,” he said, warning in his voice. “I won’t wait for you.”

“Yes, sir.” Out of sheer willpower, she stopped herself from giving him a mock salute.

Chase pushed back his chair, the legs scraping across the floor. He lifted his cup to his lips and downed the rest of the cup in a single swallow. “Thanks for breakfast, Ma.”

“Of course.”

With a nod that included them both, he strode to the door and let himself out.

“Well, let’s get movin’ then,” Patti said. “I have a pair of boots that should fit you, too.”

Piper made quick work of changing her clothes while Patti kept up a steady stream of chatter. She was headed for the door when the older woman put a hand on her shoulder.

“Piper… my son, he’s not a bad guy. Even though he pretends otherwise.”

She was too stunned to answer. So she nodded.

“What he needs is a nice girl who can show him that there’s more to life than starring in his own real-life western.” Patti laughed ruefully at her own words.

“It’s going to take more than a nice girl to keep Chase happy,” she quipped before she even realized she’d opened her mouth.

Patti smiled and released her. “Maybe you’re right. Well, you better be going. When Chase says something, he means it.”

Piper knew that all too well, but she was going to keep that one to herself.

* * *

As soon as he heard the screen door swing open, he stepped back to admire the lovely creature that was Piper. Yesterday, she’d been eye-catching and that was when she’d been rumpled, sleepy, with bits of hay in her hair.

But the Piper that was well-rested with cowgirl boots and braids made his cock stand to attention at first glance. He had no doubt he would be in serious pain by the end of the day, but it would be worth it.

“Are we going to get going?” she asked in her little-girl breathy voice.

“In a minute,” he replied, his voice coming out stern to cover for the way his balls ached. “Before we do, I think I oughta lay down the ground rules.”

“Okay.” She clasped her hands in front of her and waited.

Which Piper did he prefer? The meek, obedient little girl, or the untamed hell-cat he’d met in the barn yesterday? What a decision to have…

“First off, I don’t abide by eye-rollin’.”

“What? When did I—”

His only answer was to twirl his finger.

Her green eyes widened, to his delight. “Chase! But… your mom…”

“Guess you shoulda thought of that,” he quipped.

Swallowing hard, Piper turned around and as soon as her back was to him, he laid three quick, sharp swats on her jean-clad bottom. When she spun back to face him, her face was ablaze with humiliation, but the way her eyes sparkled told him the hell-cat was still in there.

Might be able to pull it out of her and have a little fun later, he mused.

“As I was sayin’, I have a few rules and if you don’t want a repeat of what happened in the barn yesterday, you need to know them, and you sure as hell better follow them.”

“Yes, sir,” she answered in a dutiful whisper. “What are they?”

“Well, look at that.” He chuckled. “Little girl has remembered her manners after all.”

“I’m not a little girl. Why do you keep calling me that?”

He tilted his head, his eyes raking over her face. “Why does it bother you so much?” He had a hunch, but he preferred to hear from her.

“I’m not exactly sure, but if I figure it out, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Alrighty then. Now listen close, ‘cus I’m only gonna go over this once. Rule two… You obey everythin’ I tell you to do, understand? If not, I’ll find a switch for that bottom. Understand?” he demanded, his longing for her making his voice harsher than he’d intended.

“Yes, sir.”

Her meek words belied the fire in her eyes. She was a contradiction, this girl was. On the one hand, the longer he was with her the more certain he was that there was a little girl inside her, dying to be seen for who she really was. But there was strength there, too, although every time he caught so much of a glimpse, she’d contradict herself again.

“And I won’t tolerate any disrespect, either, y’hear? Or else.” He would have left it at that, too, but when he saw the little shudder that ran through her, he couldn’t resist adding, “There are plenty of stumps I can find to bend you over.”

“Anything else?” she near-whispered, her lips trembling.

“As a matter of fact, there is. Rule four: it is my job to keep you safe, so if I see you doin’ anything to endanger yourself, or me, then—”

“Let me guess, you’ll beat me with a switch?”

Chase had been enjoying their exchange up to this point. Her quipped comment and poor choice of words made any humor he’d felt evaporate. His brows drew together and his jaw clenched menacingly. He leaned forward and when she tried to back away he caught her by the arm. She was going to listen to him whether or not she liked what he had to say. “Be careful what words you choose,” he warned. “I would never beat any woman, but I won’t hesitate to make sittin’ uncomfortable for the next several days.” She ducked her head, but he hooked a finger under her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. “And I’ll make you pick your own switch too, you hear me?”

“I hear you.”

“‘Scuse me?”

“I hear you, sir,” she amended.

“Alright then.” He released her and turned away before she could see the naked lust in his face. “Let’s go.” Chase began to stride away from the house, Piper hot on his heels.

Damn it all to hell, he doubted that he was going to be able to concentrate on anything with her at his side. Maybe he should tell her he’d changed his mind and take to her aunt’s after all—it was the only way he’d get any work done.

He stopped suddenly, and felt her plow into his back. “Whoa there.”

“I’m sorry, I—”

His arm shot out to steady her before she could fall. As soon as he touched her, he felt a shot of electricity course through his body. No matter what intuition told him, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he wouldn’t be taking her anywhere a second before he had to.

Maybe she was who she seemed to be, maybe she wasn’t. His cock didn’t care one way or the other. And when it got right down to it, spending more time with her meant there was a chance she could end up bare-assed and bent over for his viewing pleasure… and maybe for other pleasures as well. And nothing could make him give up that chance.

* * *

Piper hated herself for being so nervous, but she just couldn’t help it. She’d never been in a barn before she’d stumbled into his, much less done work on a farm. And she knew she should be paying attention to the instructions he was giving, but she was distracted by his stern, handsome profile and the rich timbre of his voice to listen to him ramble off the chores.

She knew if he caught her not listening she’d be in trouble, but she couldn’t help it. It was his fault, really. She’d lost all ability to follow any train of thought since he’d touched her. Just his fingertips pressing against her arm was enough to make her panties dampen. And to remind her of how those fingers had felt, moving inside her, bringing her to an earth-shattering orgasm…

Unbidden, a picture popped into her head. Just before she’d run downstairs for breakfast she’d gone into the bathroom. Her intention had just been to brush her teeth, but after she’d finished she’d had the urge to look at her bottom. Her mind flashed back to the moment when, panties at half mast, she’d turned and looked at the reflection of her orbs. They had faded back to their normal pale color, but there were faint bruises here and there reminding her of what had happened the day before.

She should have been repulsed. She should have demanded to be taken to her aunt’s at once. But instead, she had stayed, and if she was being honest with herself there was more to it than the fact that she liked Patti’s company.

“Piper?”

The sound of her name jolted her out of her thoughts. “What?”

Chase gave her a weird look. “I said, how are you at milking cows?”

“Um… I’ve never tried. Didn’t your grandfather milk them this morning?”

He chuckled. “First time on a dairy farm, huh?”

“Does it show?” she quipped with a smile of her own.

“It’s time for their afternoon milking, and they get ornery if you try and change their schedule.”

“Wouldn’t want to make them ornery. Of course, I can’t imagine that they’re any worse than their owner.” She batted her lashes at him. Her stomach clenched as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Normally, she wasn’t so prone to sass, but he seemed to bring it out in her, making her body a constant tingling of fear and hope that she couldn’t possibly begin to unravel.

He showed her the whites of his teeth—not a smile, but a warning. “Careful now.”

Her belly flipped. She knew she should apologize, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. It was a game they were playing, a strange, unfamiliar dance with only one ending. The thing was, despite his fierceness, he was the most interesting person she’d ever met and she found herself wanting to be around him a little longer.

You’re not very good at games, Piper, she reminded herself. Be careful.

But why? To protect her ass—or her heart?

She shook her head to clear the thought. It doesn’t matter. I just need to keep my mouth shut.

When Chase began walking again, she followed in silence, just behind his long-legged stride, until they reached a large barn. “Hey… how many of these do you have, anyway?”

“How many what? Cows?”

“No. Barns.” She gazed up at it. Though it was decorated the same as the other one, with dark brown paint and white trim, it was much bigger.

“Oh, about half a dozen or so.”

She did a double-take. “You can’t be serious.”

“Barns aren’t something we joke about ‘round here.”

“Funny, I didn’t think you joke about anything.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she cursed inwardly. It hadn’t taken long for her to break her own vow about keeping her mouth shut.

“Is that so?” Chase lifted his chin, practically daring her to repeat it.

Piper felt her heart still. She was not doing a good job of keeping her head down. “I just meant…” She trailed off helplessly, unsure of how to talk herself out of this one.

“I think I know what you meant.” He took two steps toward her, closing the distance between them.

She backtracked to prevent him from cornering her.

He smirked.

It was such a simple gesture but one that threw her off guard. One minute, he was almost considerate and the next… he clearly knew all too well the effect he had on her. Worse, he reveled in it. He liked having power over women. Over her.

That realization didn’t scare her nearly as much as it should have.

“I’m a pretty easygoing guy, Piper. Once you get to know me.”

“I’m sure that’s true. I bet you don’t let too many people get to know you, though,” she added. Once the words were out of her mouth, she was surprised by her own daring.

“Maybe. But what about you?”

“What about me?”

“There’s clearly more to your story and you’re not exactly eager to share.”

She stopped where she stood and faced him, letting her eyes rove his face for a moment. She took a deep breath before answering, “You’re right. I guess you’ll keep your secrets and I’ll keep mine.”

Chase answered with a sharp nod. “Fine.”

“Fine,” she echoed. She could admit to herself that it wasn’t the answer she’d hoped for.

* * *

Once they were both seated on stools in front of separate stalls he began the lesson. “Watch me and follow my lead.” He squeezed a thin line of milk into his pail.

“Yes, sir.”

“Let your fingers do the work,” he said, squeezing the udder again.

“I… I did it!” Piper yelped, throwing her arms in the air. In her excitement, her foot kicked over the pail and spilled out the approximately two drops she’d collected.

“So you did,” he remarked dryly.

“Sorry.” She bent over and quickly rectified the pail. Then she took hold of the udders and began squeezing again. “That should make up for it.”

“How? We’re gonna be short that fourth of an ounce, we won’t be able to get it back.”

When she looked up, her peaked face alarmed, he took pity on her.

“I’m kiddin’, Piper.”

She blushed prettily and went back to work.

He followed suit, but after a while he had to admit his mind wasn’t on work. Piper’s nearness was a type of electricity he’d never felt before and it kept him otherwise occupied.

He peeked over at her and saw her intent on squeezing the udders just so. She was working slowly, but she would pick up speed in time. She’s cool as a cucumber and I’m over here three strokes away from an explosion, he thought, shifting his weight to try to give his cock some room to breathe.

It had been a long time since he’d felt this kind of instant, unbearable attraction. It was the only reason he’d accepted her offer to help with his chores knowing it would just add to his workload.

What is she thinking? He normally didn’t concern himself with such things, but this girl was different. Special, even if he didn’t quite know why.

When the heifer she was milking mooed, Piper stopped suddenly. “Does it hurt them?” she asked, the concern in her voice evident.

Under normal circumstances, such questions irked him. They just showed how ignorant the asker was. But he found himself touched by her tenderness. “Nope, quite the opposite, actually. It brings them relief.” As he squeezed the udder again, he was desperate for his own relief.

“I guess I’ll get back to it,” she answered, nibbling on her bottom lip.

He envied those teeth. He’d learned it was something Piper did when she was nervous, so he tried to reassure her the best he could. “You’re doin’ fine. You’ll be a pro in no time. Your technique could use a lil’ work though.” On impulse, he pushed his stool back and stood.

Piper watched him with wide eyes as he walked toward her.

Chase bent over, putting his hands over hers and milking the cow with sure, practiced movements. “You see?”

“Um… I think so. Like this?” she asked, changing her hold on the udders to mimic his own.

“Yep. Good.” He moved his hands to let her try on her own but he didn’t move. He stayed leaning over her even when it was evident she’d gotten the hang of it. He brushed her ear with his mouth and whispered, “You called me ‘Daddy’ yesterday.”

Piper dropped the bucket, sending the few ounces of milk he’d collected spilling under the cow’s feet.

The heifer stamped her foot and mooed her annoyance.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Piper whipped around, surveying him with wide, apprehensive eyes. “I…”

“Don’t worry,” he chuckled, bending and reaching for the pail. “I don’t spank over a little spilled milk.”

Instant relief etched itself all over Piper’s face.

“Not the first time, anyway.”

Her cheeks colored. Idly, he thought of how much fun he could have making the set on her face match her behind.

Cool it, Cowboy. She’s nothin’ more than a little girl.

But the thought had the opposite effect on his libido. Her lovely body was full grown and had plenty of womanly curves, but her naiveté made her seem like a girl masquerading as a woman. As much as he’d like to fight it, that part of her called to him, begging to be protected. And damn it all, he wanted to answer it, even against his better judgment.

“Should I… should I try again?”

“Unless you want to make Bella here angrier than she already is.”

“Bella?” she echoed, taking the pail he offered. “That’s a pretty name for a cow.”

He chuckled low in his throat. “Some countries worship cows, you know. Now, as a rule of thumb I don’t abide bein’ made fun of in front of my animals.” But the corners of his mouth quirked to show her he was teasing.

“You don’t abide a lot of things,” she muttered.

He knew she was being snarky, and he had to admit he liked it. In most cases, he didn’t care for a smart mouth, but Piper was so darn adorable, he let it slide here and there. “What was that?”

“Oh, um, I was just saying, you have a lot of rules.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s so. Good job,” he remarked when she milked four streams into the bucket. “Now, go grab yourself a stool. I keep extras on that wall.” He pointed. “And bring an extra bucket while you’re at it.” He could tell from the sly look that crossed her face and the way she quickly turned away that she’d thought of another smart comment and decided to keep it to herself. Smart girl. Still, his hand itched at the thought of it, eager to make good on his earlier promises if she gave him a reason. In the meantime, he enjoyed the view of her ample, curvy buttocks jutting out past her narrow waist as she walked to the wall.

When she came back, she was carrying both the pail and the stool he’d indicated. The view he got on her return was just as good.

“Where do you want these?”

“C’mon.” He took the stool from her walked over to the stall next to the one he’d been teaching her in. The cow peered at him with large brown eyes and let out a long moo in greeting. “Hey there, Cindy. I know you’ve been waitin’, girl. Good news is the wait is over.” He took a seat in front of the cow. “I want you to meet Piper. Piper, this is Cindy.”

She giggled at his elbow. When he turned back to look at her, she covered her mouth.

“Somethin’ funny?”

“No,” she said quickly. “Well, um, yeah. I mean… I just can’t picture a guy like you talking to cows, that’s all.”

“A guy like me, huh?” He grinned. “Sit down and get to milkin’.”

She obeyed, and he heard the obliging ping of milk hitting the pail.

His hands settled into the familiar rhythm as soon as he sat down. “Tell you the truth, sometimes I think people are the ones I shouldn’t talk to.” That got her to look up, and he winked, trying to help her relax. “Animals are the intelligent, loyal ones.” He reached out and patted Cindy on her flank. “Isn’t that right, girl?”

“So… are you going to tell me about the rules?”

“I thought we already went over those.” He had been milking so long, he could watch her while his hands work and saw her shake her head.

“No, I mean why you have so many.”

“I don’t think of four as a lot.”

“They’re vague, left up to interpretation. Which I’m sure is the way you like it.”

Piper was an odd combination of snark and shyness that kept him guessing. Maybe it was why he kept wanting to get to know her better, to see if she was a bratty girl hiding behind a shy mask, or vice versa.

“Which one bothers you the most?”

She shrugged a shoulder and seeming to feel his eyes, turned her head. But the next tug of her cow’s udder overshot the pail and she returned her focus to watching her hands. “I don’t know. They’re all…”

“What?” he prompted, truly curious to hear her thoughts, even if he disagreed.

“Well, like the danger one, for example. How much trouble do you think I can get into on a farm?”

“I don’ know, you seemed to be in good deal of danger yesterday.”

Piper went still, dropping the udders and staring at the wall of the barn. When she moved again, it was to wipe her hands on her jeans. “Did you… did you ever figure out what that was about?”

Chase tensed on the stool. He wouldn’t lie to her, but he didn’t want to scare her, either. Then and there, he decided that protecting her meant more than just her person. There was no need to say anything and risk adding to her worries when he wasn’t sure. “No. I never found anyone, if that’s what you’re askin’.”

When she turned toward him, her face was unreadable. “Do you… do you know who… what happened?”

“No. Do you?”

Her face contorted and settled on a mask of rage. “Of course not! Don’t you think if I did I would say something?”

“I don’t know,” he replied calmly. “Now, please stop shoutin’. You’re spookin’ the animals.”

She huffed loudly and folded her arms across her chest, clearly annoyed. “It just doesn’t make any sense. If I knew something, why would I keep it from you?” She punctuated the question by spinning around to face him, but Piper was not paying attention to what she was doing and her foot knocked over the pail.

They both watched in silence as the milk spilled onto the floor.

“That’s twice,” he remarked, his tone terse.

Piper met his eyes, but instead of the ashamed, contrite girl he was expecting, the anger on her face had just intensified. “So what?” she demanded, raising her voice again. Before he could answer, she walked toward him, her foot lashed out, and she knocked over his pail, too.