Under the Cowboy's Control

Selena began shaking her head. "No m-money. I c-can't--"

He cut her off impatiently. "Selena, I don't expect you to pay for this stuff. I know you don't have any money. Just pick some stuff out, sizes and colors, and I'll cover it. We're not talking about much money here. Just pick out say, a week's worth of jeans, shirts, underwear, stuff like that. And you're going to need shorts. It's going to be hot as hell here in a few weeks. As a matter of fact, get a bathing suit or two.

There's a stream that opens up into a pond on the south place. You'll like it."

Selena stared at him in horror. Her face turned red from embarrassment and shame. She couldn't allow him to pay for her clothes. What would that make her?

Fathers bought clothes for their daughters. Husbands bought clothes for their wives. Men didn't buy clothes for women that weren't relatives. She might be innocent, but she knew that much.

"N-no. Gracias, T-Travis." She started to back away from him and he reached out and grabbed a slender wrist before she could get away. He caressed the pulse point with his rough thumb.

"Selena, you've got to have some clothes. It's not right that you're in need and I've got money coming out of my butt--"

Her eyes flared and she started pulling on her wrist. His grip tightened on her and he didn't let go. "I've got plenty of money, Selena." He softened his voice. "Please, Angel, you'll be doing me a favor. You're working so hard, making my meals, cleaning my kitchen--"

"N-no, por favor, Travis."

Her huge eyes welled with tears and he felt it like a knife to his heart. "Angel, how about you let me buy you these clothes, and we work out a deal?" Her eyes became even larger, and a tear dripped down her cheek. "No, no, baby. Nothing like that. Selena, I'm an honorable man. Please don't think terrible thi

ngs about me.

You're doing such a good job with the cooking, but you know, what I really hate doing, is my laundry. Maybe you could run a load or two for me once in a while? It would really help me out, and I could help you some by getting a few things for you." His words came to an end, and he waited for her reaction.

Selena stopped pulling on her arm and stood still. "A h-housekeeper, si? "

Travis hadn't really meant a housekeeper. That sounded long term, and he didn't think he had the fortitude to withstand the temptation for weeks on end, let alone months on end. But her beauty was compelling, the thought of having her feminine touch on his house, if not on him, was tempting. He had never lived with a woman.

Never had a mother to take care of him, never a wife or girlfriend, not even a housekeeper.

He slowly nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Sure, a housekeeper. Do you know how to take care of a house?" He bet his ass she did. If the meals were anything to go by, her mother had trained her well in wifely duties.

Selena smiled. "Yes."

The smile hit him, like a low blow to his solar plexus that was going to take him a moment to recover from. He cleared his throat. "Okay, then. Let's order you some clothes."

"No. First I clean. Clothes, maybe next week." She tugged on her arm and he released her.

Son of a bitch. She had won that battle.

Chapter Four

The next day, after Selena had washed the breakfast dishes and put on a double batch of brownies to bake, she walked down the halls to the bedrooms. Hers was clean, as she had been taking care of it herself. She entered the spare bedroom and looked around. It contained a double bed, a bedside table, and a chair by a large window. It was pristine and there wasn't anything in it to straighten. She took the cloth and polish she had found in the laundry room and quickly sprayed and dusted the room. It didn't take five minutes.

Then she walked to the third bedroom. The room Travis slept in. She hadn't ever been in the room before, hadn't even taken a look at it. She peeked in, and her hand flew to her mouth in shock. The room was nothing like the rest of the house.

The other rooms were orderly, no knick-knacks, no stacks of stuff. Granted, the dust was thick, but other than that, the rooms were clean.

His bedroom was not. Dirty clothes were strewn everywhere. On the floor. On the chair, on the unmade bed. There was a saddle in one corner of the room, and two cardboard boxes overflowing with trophies and plaques. Selena stepped forward and took a look at them, and saw several with pictures of bulls and roping events.

Most of them were first place awards. It was a shame that they were kept in this box with dust all over them.

She peeked in the hall bathroom that she knew he used. Although it was meant to be shared with the other bedroom, it was larger than the little bath that connected to her bedroom. Maybe that was why he had chosen it.

It was disgusting.

She had never seen such filth. She closed her eyes and made the sign of the cross. Dear Lord, give her strength.

Two hours later, the bathroom was clean, his bed was changed and made, the brownies were done, and Selena was trying to figure out how to work the washing machine. She put his jeans and the soap powder in, but it didn't seem to be filling with water the way it should. She pondered the problem for a bit and decided the big black cord at the back of the machine must have a kink in it. She reached around and fiddled with it, and all of a sudden it came loose from the PVC piping, and was spraying water all over the room.