Branded (The Club)

Stella glanced over her shoulder at me and then came to the counter.

“Since he was a boy.”

“Really?” This intrigued me. She ought to know a bit about him, and maybe I could glean more from her than the basics of hot rancher who came to Karim once a month for banking—seemed like there should be more about him than that. Stella resumed her cleaning and humming, and I finished eating thinking over how I might ask those questions.

“You’ll find Mr. Tanner out in the barn. Shoes by the door and lunch will be prepared by one.” My unasked questions were obviously deflected as she changed the subject and pointed down the hall, slinging the dish towel over her shoulder. “He’ll be answering any questions you have around here.”

Stella left out the door off the kitchen which I assumed led back to wherever she was staying. So much for learning more about Sloan Tanner.

As Stella instructed, I found a pair of new boots by the front door with socks that pulled up, so a bit of lace peeked out from the top. No underwear here either, and I did my best to pull the dress down, making sure I wouldn’t embarrass myself with anyone else on the ranch. A matching hat in dark brown rested on the side table, and seeing the bright sun, I plopped it on my head as I walked outside in the direction of the barn looking for my host.

Dust kicked up from my boots as I walked up to the barn doors. I heard the nickers of horses inside and shuddered. It wasn’t that I didn’t like them per say, but I had a healthy dose of fear given I’d never ridden before. My hand hesitated on the latch to a gate that seemed to separate some of the horses.

“Sloan?” I peeked around the corner, not finding him, and walked further inside. A barn cat rubbed against my leg, and I leaned down to pet her. “Hi there. Where’s your daddy, pretty kitty? Hmm?” I scratched her soft head, and she leaned into me, purring, deeply contented.

“Daddy is right here, but I told you to call me sir.” His boots rounded the corner scaring the shit out of me.

“Jesus, Sloan.” I clutched my neck, and the cat scampered off as Sloan reached down to pick me up.

“Good morning, Langley.” He helped me to stand on my weak feeling legs and pushed me against the wooded wall. His hands roamed freely, pushing up under the ridiculously short dress.

“I couldn’t find any underwear,” I said.

He shook his head, smiling. “I didn’t leave you any.”

“Huh.” Our eyes followed each other, mine wary and his assessing. “I met Stella too.”

“I hope she was pleasant,” he said.

I shrugged my shoulders, feigning indifference. I hated when people didn’t like me, but what was I going to do? Stella was Sloan’s housekeeper; she’d been with him ages. Me—less than a full day.

“I think she’ll warm up to me.” I wasn’t sure of anything but since I hadn’t done anything wrong, I was going to keep that assumption.

“She will.”

His hands continued a leisurely path upward, and as much as I wanted this, I also feared someone coming out and seeing us like this. I had no underwear on thanks to a certain cowboy. I pushed him back and he let me go, a frown covering his face as I walked away.

“So, this is the barn.” I paced deeper inside, my fingers trailing against the grains of wood, and he followed me and rested a hand on my back.

“Yes. Have you ever ridden before?” It was a question within a question, and I recognized the sexual innuendo right away.

“Horses? No.” I’d never ridden anything a day in my life, not even a pony or an elephant like they had at the county fairs back home. The ponies always looked half-starved and the elephants so sad. I couldn’t bring myself to bounce on their backs for five dollars a pop, and after my parent’s divorce, my mother pinched every penny saying it would be a waste.

I turned toward him, giving him a cheeky smile and pressing my finger into his chest. “You…maybe later.”

Sloan’s laughter sounded like an unused horn, deep, loud, and without control. For someone who reported to thrive on control, I liked that he let his guard down in fragments with me. How could he be domineering twenty-four seven if he laughed spontaneously? It didn’t add up to me in a good way and reframed for me all the things I had read and researched about BDSM relationships prior to coming out here. Porn videos on the internet were perhaps not the best educators but quickly brought me up to speed.

“Come, I want to show you something.” He grabbed my hand and led me outside the other end of the barn. A pasture surrounded by a split rail fence lay out before us. A large, black horse raced over the field bucking and kicking. His tail whipped in the wild, and his eyes looked untamed and beastly.

“He’s beautiful.” My curiosity had me standing on the railing before I realized what I was doing. Part of me wanted to get closer and touch a bit of his wildness if he would let me.

“He’s dangerous.” Sloan’s arms circled around me, trapping my arms from going out over the fence and keeping me immovable.

“What’s he doing out here all alone?” The beautiful animal made those fair ponies look woefully inadequate.

“He’s my stud horse. He’ll be breeding with a mare soon. Right now his temperament makes him too dangerous to keep in the barn. He kicked out a few stall boards, so I brought him out here so he doesn’t hurt himself or anyone else.”

“Must be lonely like that,” I muttered.