Under the Cowboy's Control

Why'd you bring her here?"

"She brought your lunch, Boss. I guess she was worried about you." Travis looked away from Gus to Selena who was holding a large sack and hesitantly watching him. "You want the food? I'll drive her back." Gus waited for an answer.

"No. She can stay with me. You go on back to work. I'll bring her back to the house when I'm done here. Thanks." He turned away and began wiping his hands on a rag already dirty with grease stains.

"See ya' later, then." Gus walked off, and the truck roared away.

Travis threw the rag to the ground and swiped the bag out of her hand. He opened the top and took out the water bottle. He guzzled half of it and took out a sandwich and unwrapped it. "I'm beginning to think you don't understand English as well as I thought, Selena. I specifically told you to stay away from the hands and stay at the house. In fact, I've told you more than once." He took a large bite and started eating the sandwich like a starving man. He wolfed it down and started on the second one.

Selena watched him in amazement as he ate the food she brought, and yelled at her for bringing it at the same time. She stood in silence. She didn't know how to react. His moods were ever changeable, volatile.

He ate, standing up, and scrunched up the bag when he was finished. "You got anything to say to me? Anything in your defense?"

"Am I on tri--trial?"

"Yeah, you're on trial. And I'm the only judge you're going to get. No jury of your peers. Just me. My decision. Got that?" His voice rose.

Selena took a step back from him. "What's wrong w-with you? How can you b-be so nice and then s-so mean?"

He stalked toward her. "Really?" He reached down and swiped her wrist and held it tightly in his grip. "Really? You don't get it yet? You haven't quite figured it out? I told you what happens when a man wants something he can't have. Have you forgotten so soon? Are you saying I can have it? Are you? I tell you what, Angel, you let me take you back to the house, strip you naked every night. You sleep in my bed, and we'll see just how nice I can be." He slammed his mouth down on hers. His tongue went deep, tasting her sweetness. He pulled her into his body, his erection straining against her. He lifted his mouth from hers. His hand went to the back of her head and grabbed hold of her hair and pulled until her eyes were on his.

His face was menacing, his hold on her uncompromising. He fisted his hand in her hair until she was completely captive. His other hand went to her neck and felt her racing heartbeat. His hand roamed down and settled on her breast. Her flesh swelled against his palm, her nipple hardening. His thumb moved back and forth across the tight little pebble.

They stood there, panting together. His touch gentled, and his words became beguiling. "Come on, baby. You don't want to be a virgin forever, do you?" His mouth lowered and he took a gentle kiss from her parted lips. "I can make it good for you. You don't need to be scared. I won't hurt you. It won't hurt at all."

Selena stiffened and fear went through her. Fear of herself, not of him. God, she wanted to say yes. She wanted to be naked in his arms. Everything he said, she craved, also. She craved his kisses, his touch. She wanted to know what it would be like with him. He made her knees weak. He made her tremble. She had only known him a couple of weeks, but he was the one.

Shock reverberated through her system. She thought he was the one, but he only wanted to use her.

She pulled away from him, accusation in her eyes.

He stood in front of her, blatant masculinity dripping from his pores. He had a dominant nature, and she felt its intensity now.

His eyes were riveted on her, his nostrils flaring. Goddammit! He had sworn to himself that he wasn't going to try to seduce her, and then he had gone and done just that. "Shit." He turned away and dug his cell phone from his pocket, flipped it open and pressed a button. He spoke into the phone. "Yeah, get back here and take her back to the house."

He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. "I'm not going to apologize. You're playing with fire and you know it. You better watch out, little girl, because you're going to get burned. I want you to get back to that house and stay there. You can go to the barn and see those damn skunks, but that's it. Nowhere else. You stay away from the men." He grabbed her chin in his hand and lifted.

"And when you get back to the house, you better make me something real sweet for dessert, because I want something for all the goddamn trouble you're causing me."

Chapter Six

Two days later, the UPS truck delivered the packages.

Selena carefully opened the front door and made sure the snake was nowhere to be seen. The UPS guy was steadily going back and forth to his truck, dumping box after box on the front porch. When it was all finished, she thanked him and stood staring at the ten boxes. Maybe she should have asked him to take it all around to the barn, because surely this was ranching equipment.

Then she took a closer look at the labels. Selena Taylor was the recipient on all ten boxes. Confusion spread through her as she looked at the boxes. One by one, she brought them into the living room. She went to the kitchen to get a knife and carefully began to cut the seam of the transparent tape and opened the flaps on the first box. She lifted out the packing material and found five shirts, all of various styles and colors. And all in her size. Frowning, she carefully put them all back in the box and didn't open any more.

That evening when Travis was eating his dinner, she walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. "The boxes came today."

He swallowed his food and watched her standing there, nervous tension radiated from her body. "Good. I'm seriously sick of seeing you in t

hose rags."

An arrow of pain pierced her heart. "You send them back. I don't want them."

"Bullshit. You're keeping them. And you're welcome." His voice was rough with temper.

She glared at him. "I didn't say thank you."