Mav worked closely with the ranch horse master, Noah, to maintain the schedule on the horse rotations on the hundreds owned by the ranch. His buddy Tanner had moved up in the ranks since Emmett had pulled back on operating the overnight cattle drives all the time after getting hitched this past winter. It was on account of Emmett’s lady love, the town doc, Grace, he was taking the extra time and wanted his nights back.
Not that Mav blamed Emmett one bit—if he had a sweet woman who looked like Grace waiting at home for him, he would want the time with her too. If he was that kind of man. Settling down was fine for some guys—his friends Emmett and Colt had taken to it right fine.
But Mav didn’t believe he was the settling down type himself. For some, it worked, and for others, it ended up being a prison with no escape. Besides, there was such an available bounty of women who tended to throw themselves his way.
How could he refuse?
That train of thought brought to mind the spoiled brat he had helped the other night. She’d been a damn looker. Blonde, slim, with breasts that made him want to weep for joy at the female form, and a snooty attitude that made him itch to draw her over his damn knee to teach her some respect.
All of that launched a world of possibilities when it came to what he could do with her between the sheets. It was sad to admit that she had starred in a few of his fantasies over the last two nights. All the naughty things he could do with those glorious tits—even the simple thought of the way they would jiggle as he pumped inside her—made his gut clench. Although, with the mouth she had on her, he would likely have to amend some of those erotic visions to include a ball gag.
Jesus, he couldn’t think of her that way. He didn’t even know whether he liked the British chick—not that that had ever stopped him from taking a woman to bed.
He checked on reports from wranglers, checked in with forest rangers for a count and update on local predator movement, and scoured through data on the current snow melt and thawing. It was May, which meant they could have three days of gorgeous eighty-degree temps, and then have a sudden snowstorm barrel in, dump two feet of white powder and make weather conditions plummet below freezing, only for it to thaw out by the end of the week and turn the trails into thick rivers of mud.
Just because it snowed, that didn’t mean they got the day off, not with the responsibilities they had with the horses and cows. But that was why he checked on forecasts, and studied their supply numbers on feed for the horses and cattle. And while they did their best to let the cattle graze mainly on grass, during the winter months it was damn hard to do, so they supplemented the animals’ diet with cattle feed then.
Mav also had to double check that the horse feed and cow feed did not get mixed up. They had different storage lockers for the stables and cattle pens when the animals were stuck in the barns. He knew that some people didn’t like cows being stuck in a small space in a barn for months on end. But it was better than them freezing to death when there was three feet of snow on the ground, and it was below zero out. They had outdoor corrals, so the animals weren’t inside all the time.
He needed to saddle up in a bit, and go check on some of the high-country fences. One of the wranglers had reported a herd of elk had passed through and taken out part of the fencing. While Silver Springs was a dude ranch, as a working ranch, it had the same needs and problems as a regular ranch.
Carrying his tack and saddle towards Black Jack’s stall, Mav picked up the distinct sound of a British accent near the front desk. It must be their newest guest from across the pond. He settled the tack and saddle over Jack’s stall door. Jack peered at him with impatience to be out on the range.
“Be back in a moment, bud.” He rubbed his stallion’s inky nose and headed out to see what the commotion was at the front.
Mav squinted as he stepped outside while his gaze adjusted to the sunlight. And there she stood, talking with Trevor, one of their seasonal workers who had been with them three summers running. Trevor was studying to be a forest ranger. His time here would serve him well.
What the hell was she wearing?
The woman was dressed in riding gear that was more suited to afternoon tea than to riding the range in Colorado. Granted, the beige pants displayed her slim, toned legs to perfection, and Mav couldn’t help but admire the way they fit. He doubted he had ever seen black riding boots that were that clean, without a scuff in place. The ivory long-sleeved shirt and protective black vest hugged the curves of her generous cleavage. That long blonde hair had been pulled back and lay in a thick braid over one shoulder.
He could imagine wrapping that braid in his hand to hold her in place as he took her from behind. Jesus, he needed to get a grip. The sudden onslaught of lust mixed with his anger.
The quip left his mouth before he could stop it. “That’s what you’re planning to wear horse riding, princess?”
“It’s perfectly acceptable.” Her sultry blue eyes slanted in his direction. Her delicate features were schooled in a prim, dismissive manner, like she was staring at shit that needed to be scraped off boots.
“If you say so, princess. Ever ridden a horse?” he asked derisively, looking her up and down. The woman didn’t look strong enough to handle a horse, but he also was well aware that looks could be deceiving.
“Plenty, on the English saddle. However, I never had the chance to learn on a Western style saddle, and would like to,” she replied haughtily.
He studied her, rather surprised. It meant she had some skills. “I can teach you.”
“But I don’t want you,” she said dismayed, apparently rather horrified at the possibility.
Didn’t she realize that her response gave him all the fuel he needed? He was a perverse creature and a bit of a sadist. Causing her discomfort that wouldn’t really harm her would satisfy him on a twisted level that was right up his alley. “Princess, it’s not a matter of what you want, it’s what I’m willing to give. Take it or leave it.”
Trevor adjusted his white Stetson and said, “Ah, Mav—”
Mav cut the younger wrangler off and noted the gleam of interest in the kid’s eyes. She would eat the poor bastard alive and stomp on his heart on the way out the door. No, this one required a firmer hand than the boy had. “I’ve got this, Trevor. Why don’t you go saddle Sunshine for me and bring her out? That way, I can get a feel for the princess’s skills.”
Trevor glanced longingly at the woman for a minute, before he nodded at Mav and strode inside to fetch Sunshine.
“There’s no reason to be rude,” she stated primly once Trevor was out of earshot.
Christ, she did something to Mav with that haughty stare. He let her understand who was boss with a single glare, one that normally made submissives quiver. But not Miss Peabody—she challenged him with a defiant glimmer.
“My place, my rules. I run the stables. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to ride. How long have you been riding for?” He assessed her with an eye toward leg length, trying to determine how she would sit on a saddle. He’d been doing this long enough with tourists that usually he knew the moment he spied the person. But with Miss Prim and Proper, he couldn’t get a feel for her and how she would take to the saddle.
She huffed. “Since I was old enough to sit in a saddle. All through primary and secondary school, I competed, show jumping. Until I went away to university and didn’t have time for such frivolities.”