Rawhide angel, p.1
Rawhide Angel, page 1
Table of Contents
Rawhide Angel
Copyright
Dedication
PRAISE FOR AUTHOR
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Epilogue
About the Author
Also Available
Chapter One
Thank you for purchasing this Wild Rose Press publication.
Rawhide Angel
by
Sayde Grace
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Rawhide Angel
COPYRIGHT © 2012 by Sayde Grace
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: info@thewildrosepress.com
Cover Art by Diana Carlile
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
PO Box 708
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708
Visit us at www.thewilderroses.com
Publishing History
First Scarlet Rose Edition, January 2012
Digital ISBN 978-1-61217-222-4
Published in the United States of America
Dedication
Every book I write would not be possible without the wonderful people at The Wild Rose Press. Readers sometimes do not realize the intense and demanding attitudes us writers can have, yes we can be a tad dramatic, go figure. But no matter what, Diana Carlile, my wonderful editor, is always there with support. Thank you to all at TWRP, and a huge special thank you to Diana.
Also before my books are ever presented to the eyes of an editor my remarkable friend and critique partner, Rebecca Zanetti is there to be a complete smartbutt and pick apart everything!
Thank you to Rebecca for being a butt and
having a great sense of humor.
PRAISE FOR AUTHOR
Sayde Grace
AND HER BOOKS
RIDING DOUBLE
“Ms. Grace’s story intrigued me. A female in a male dominated world making good and showing she can handle the rough stuff. It worked for me. I felt like I was there with Billie, on the rodeo circuit and seeing the bulls and riders. Talk about setting a mood—Ms. Grace did it well.”
~Tiger Lily, Whipped Cream Reviews
“This story is one that will stay with me for some time. Ms. Grace delivers a story with emotional punch that will steal your breath. The sex is some of the best I’ve read. RIDING DOUBLE is a story not to be missed. The characters are flawed and their coming to terms with their connection to each other was beautiful to read. The sex is scorching and the poignant moments will bring you to tears.”
~Romance Reader, Seriously Reviewed
Prologue
Hooves slammed into the thick arena dirt. Dust billowed around as the horse rocked back and reared. Chet’s body slid back, and Saige was sure he’d fall flat on his ass. Instead, he hung on, spurring and sending his bright green chaps whipping up and down with each movement. The pickup man rode by, his horse slinging dirt toward Saige as she leaned over the arena fence to watch Chet jump from the bronc’s back. His hat hit the ground, revealing blond hair her hands itched to glide through.
No, she couldn’t think of Chet Haskins like that. But when he turned, smiling his million-dollar smile, and waved his hands in the air to pump up the crowd, all she yearned to do was beg him to smile at her, just her, that way.
Saige bit her lip. She had resisted any and all urges when it came to Chet. So far. But then he stopped, bent to get his hat, and all she could think of was what it would be like for her hands to grip that butt while he thrust into her. A flame ricocheted within her. She burned with desire. It’d been a long time since she’d had sex, and Chet Haskins tempted her with every move he made.
Saige shrunk away from the fence. She had to get away from him, from the lust crawling in her veins. Chet turned again. His eyes met hers. A slow smile tipped his lips. With a wink, he sent her running for her sanity.
Spinning on her heel, she ran from the arena. Fear skittered through her. She’d lost her heart once to a man who risked his life rodeoing. She wouldn’t lose her sanity again.
She fled into a small bathroom. Tears pooled in her eyes. No matter what, she swore she’d never give herself to Chet Haskins. She’d lose herself, for sure, and that was something she couldn’t allow. Not after everything she’d gone through to rebuild her life.
Chet Haskins was a temptation she couldn’t afford, but one she craved beyond life itself.
Chapter One
The elevator hummed as Saige Thomely ascended to Chet Haskins’ apartment. Every nerve in her body was on fire. She didn’t know whether that fire was because of her anger toward all men, living and dead, or because her body hummed at the very real possibility of Chet’s touch.
Damn, she so needed to get a grip before she blindsided him with her proposal. It wouldn’t matter how calm either of them were. It was an outrageous proposal. One that was sure to backfire on her. Still, there was no way around it. The scene from hours earlier ran through her mind as floors rose in number.
Saige had stared at the beady-eyed little old man sauntering toward her truck, keys jingling in hand. She hated that the truck she’d worked so hard to buy was being taken from her. The kicker? She hadn’t been the one to lose it. Her no good, drunk, gambling father had once again gambled his way into trouble. Her truck was worth fifteen thousand dollars, but her father had lost sixty thousand.
The gray-haired man turned to her just before opening the driver’s side door. “Ms. Thomely, I don’t often give advice that will hurt my business, but you need to stop paying your father’s debts. He’s the one losing the money, but you’re the one paying the debts. One day, it’s going to catch up to you and you won’t be able to handle the payment required.”
The elevator dinged, snapping Saige back to the present. She was in no way prepared to handle the payment about to be offered, but it had to be done.
The key she’d snatched from Bo Bennett, her best friend’s fiancé, slipped easily into the hole. She hoped Chet wouldn’t be too mad at her for breaking and entering.
Saige inhaled the sweet, spicy scent of leather and pine that surrounded her as she stepped into the room. The hardwood floor gleamed in the dim light. She eased inside, listening for any sign that Chet had beat her here. She’d asked her best friend, Billie Atwater, to stall him. Knowing Billie was following through sent a wave of jealousy through her. She hated to admit that knowing Billie and Chet had slept together really did bother her.
Pushing those thoughts away, she glided through the spacious living area. The walls were a dark brown, and the sofa and recliner were deep rich mocha leather. Western art hung on the walls, but other than that, there were no pictures. The apartment was surprisingly clean. Not at all what she’d expected.
Smiling, she eased her way past the sofa to the recliner. She had a plan and the recliner was the main stage.
Fighting back a panicky moment, she kicked off her boots. Breathing deep calmed her slightly, but not much. There wasn’t anything to do but proceed with her plan so she stripped off her clothes. Cool air rushed over her. She sighed and hid her clothes behind the recliner. She didn’t know how long she had before Chet arrived, but she was determined to make sure he agreed to her plan. If being naked was the way to get him to agree, then so be it.
Saige’s body tingled from top to bottom with a flare of excitement and nervousness. Ignoring her nagging conscience that told her what she was about to do was wrong, Saige eyed the balcony window. Chet’s penthouse apartment sat in the center of Dallas. The view had to be amazing, but the slide of a key in the lock left no time to find out.
The back of her legs hit the recliner and her ass slid over the soft leather. It was cold, but her body temperature was not. She burned with anticipation, desire, and a hint of anger. Her heart beat against the confines of her rib cage. Blood roared in her ears. She blinked, trying to hide the panic attack working its way through her. Breathing steady and deep, she stared at the wood door. The brass knob turned moments before Chet sauntered inside. He dropped the large bag that held his bareback riding rig and more than likely his chaps. His green eyes swept the apartment until they landed on her.
A shot of pure desire flashed in his eyes. The iris’s darkened from a summer-grass green to emerald. He opened and closed his mouth, then shook his head.
Her throat went dry. She was supposed to explain why she was here, but her gaze had drifted to his denim-covered crotch and the bulge growing there sent all rational thought flying out the window.
He took a step forward, tipping back his cowboy hat. “Um, not that I’m complaining, but what the hell?” He threw his keys and hat on the side table near the door.
She sat up straight and spread her legs. The sizzle in the room grew ten-fold, and the sight of what she did to Chet had her puss y wet and ready.
He raised an eyebrow. “Spill it. You’ve been avoiding me for months, and now, all of a sudden, you show up in my apartment naked. What’s up?”
She pushed out of the chair, and her bare feet slid over the cowhide rug as she swaggered toward him. Her heart raced as if she were running a marathon. Her nerves were waning. Just out of his reach, she stopped and cocked her head to the side, gazing at his crotch. “Judging by that bulge, I’d say you’re up.”
She reached for his chest, but his large hands wrapped around her wrists.
“Saige, we’ve played cat and mouse for six months. Why all of a sudden are you here? Not that I wouldn’t love to bend you over my couch and ram my cock into your pretty little pussy, but what’s going on?” Chet’s normally carefree playboy tone wasn’t there. Instead, his voice held an edge of fatigue.
Saige met his gaze, taking in the dark circles under his eyes. Bo had mentioned Chet’s decision to stop rodeoing because his cousin had been hurt. She had no idea what that had to do with Chet’s schedule, but the man in front of her wasn’t the teasing one she knew. This man had a burden that was obviously weighing him down. Something in her yearned to soothe him, wanted to bear that burden for him.
She drew back as humiliation and shyness swamped her. Rejection, no matter what or why, was humiliating. Her bravado was gone in a heartbeat, plummeting off the balcony. She needed her clothes.
“Jesus, Saige don’t look at me like that.” He released her hands and strode past her to the open kitchen area.
Without a word, he lifted a bottle of vodka from the freezer and poured two glassfuls. She crossed her arms, trying to hide her breasts. The urge to gather her clothes and cover herself pounded inside, but Saige couldn’t abandon her plan. He strode into the room in long tired strides, his head lowered and his classic smile nowhere to be found.
Sighing, he ran a hand through his thick blond hair. His gaze raked her naked body. Heat slithered through her veins, but Chet didn’t seem to respond. Then his eyes lifted and locked with hers. The desire burning in those green depths had the ache inside her spreading. Her nipples pebbled. Her breasts grew heavy and begged for him to touch, lick, and suck them.
“Drink.” He raised one glass. “Sit down. And for fuck’s sake, wrap the blanket on the couch around you before I lose all control.”
He plopped into the recliner, and his knees fell open, giving her a perfect view of his still hard cock. She really wanted to see it freed from those jeans.
The thought shook her to the core. Not since Jake had she thought about a man like that. For two years, she’d been fine without a man. Now her body was betraying her. Yet, she knew she was lying to herself. If she didn’t want Chet, she’d never have thought of the proposal she was about to offer.
“I suggest you spit it out. I’ve had a shitty night, a shittier day, and even shittier week. My patience is quickly fading. So is my control.” He took a sip of the clear liquid, letting his head roll back to rest on the soft leather. “You’ve got a few minutes before I remember just how bad I’ve wanted to fuck you and really do bend you over the couch.”
Her gasp rang in the silent room, and a smirk tugged at his full lips. The small gesture brought out the youthfulness of his features. At twenty-three, Chet Haskins had the world at his feet. Saige, on the other hand, was losing everything, and at twenty-nine, she was lost.
She didn’t drink often, but without a doubt, tonight was the night to drink. Taking a gulp, she swallowed hard. The burning liquid singed her throat. A cough sputtered from her throat. Tears blurred her vision. She fanned her face while searching for the coffee table to set the horrid drink on.
Laughing, Chet plucked the glass from her. “Not much of a vodka drinker, huh?”
“No.” She coughed again. “Not so much.” All right, now or never. Saige straightened her back, refusing to cover her body with the blanket he’d pointed out to her. “I need forty-five thousand dollars, and I’m willing to work it off.” She met his gaze. “In any way.”
Chet choked, spewing vodka across the table. The glass trembled in his hand. “What?”
His reaction gave her a sense of power. She knew he wanted her. He’d told her over and over. Melanie Brantley, her friend and ex roommate, had even informed her that Chet sought out partners matching Saige’s description at Minx, a sex club Melanie’s boyfriend owned.
She rose and moved between his knees. Denim brushed her legs, shooting desire through her. “I said, I need money and will do whatever I have to do to get it.” But was she really willing to pay the price? She hoped she’d be able to handle the consequences of what she was doing. Selling herself wasn’t an everyday option for her.
“Saige, I’m going to take a long, cold shower. When I get out, I think you should be dressed and ready to talk about this in detail.”
That quaver in his voice gave her the nerve she needed to push him back in the recliner. “No.” She straddled his legs and settled onto his lap. She’d forgotten what it felt like to be so close to a man. Her flesh tingled with the renewed sensation of touching another human being. “We both know you want me.” She rocked her hips, grinding her pussy over his cock. “I’ll be yours for two weeks if you agree to give me the money I need.”
Chet wrapped his arms around her waist, snatching her hard against him. “And the cream seeping from your pussy onto my jeans tells me you want me just as bad. So tell me why I’d give you that kind of money when all I have to do is open my zipper and fuck you right here, right now, for free.”
He thrust his hips upward, and Saige moaned. This was not going the way she’d planned. No, she hadn’t planned to enjoy his touch so much or feel like such a prostitute. Which was exactly what she’d be if she convinced him to accept her proposal.
She cleared her throat, trying to mask the moan slipping past her lips. “It’s simple. I need the money and you’ll get the release I know you’ve been seeking. Not even the women at Minx can satisfy you. Nothing but the real thing will, and we both know I’m the one you pretend to be with while you’re fucking those women.”
A smile tipped the corner of his lips—the Chet Haskins’ woman killer smile. It made even Saige weaken toward him.
“You’re right about that. So what exactly are you willing to do, because you should know I like sex hard and dark. I enjoy things that most find freaky.”
Oh, that was not good. If he knew how dark she enjoyed her sex—rough, hard, and with a hint of pain that drove her beyond the brink of sanity…
She bit her lip. “I’ll do whatever you want for two weeks. Anything…and everything.”
He chuckled, releasing her. “Fine, I need an office assistant. Get dressed while I take a shower. Next time you’re naked around me though, I’ll fuck every hole my dick will fit.” He set her on the side of the recliner as he stood.
Saige stared at his perfectly luscious ass as relief and anger raged inside her. What the hell had just happened? Chet wasn’t supposed to agree to anything besides sex.
“Oh, hell.” He spun around, jerking her toward him. His lips crashed over hers. Instantly, lightning pinged through every cell in her being. Lust raced in her veins, and she ran her hands over his muscled chest.
Just as quick as he’d grabbed her, he set her aside and left her standing alone, eyes closed, panting and trying to figure out how she’d lost control so quickly.
****
Chet slung his shirt across the room. What the fuck was he doing? Saige Thomely was standing in his living room naked and willing to screw him. He’d been fantasizing about that scenario for months, yet he’d kissed her and walked away. He fell back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Damn, what had he done?
But the quick fuck he’d gotten used to with the women at Minx wasn’t what he wanted with Saige. He’d been head over heels since the moment he laid eyes on the petite blonde with haunted blue eyes. It hadn’t mattered then that he was screwing her best friend, but now regret edged at his conscience. Still, if he hadn’t slept with Billie, he would never have gotten to know anything about Saige, and that would be a shame.
Sighing, he rolled over and dragged his tired and sore body off the bed. The bronc he’d drawn had been another one of Billie’s infamous hard-as-hell-to-ride broncs. He’d bucked off in three seconds flat. He shook his head and toed off his brown cowboy boots. The hot summer night had him sweating even inside the apartment. He flipped open the button on his pants. The metal zipper slid down, breaking the silence of his room.
