Tamed by the Dom(10)

He kneeled down at the side of the bath and took the sponge from her hands and began lathering on some soap. “I’ll wash your back,” he said as he lifted her hair away from her neck. The warm water cascaded over her tired muscles as he smoothed the sponge across her aching shoulders and down her spine. When he began rinsing, he spoke.

“I know I said I’d take you for a meal for your belated birthday, but I thought we’d go for a horseback ride this afternoon instead. There’s plenty to explore around the ranch. Perhaps, we can take a picnic with us. The trouble with working into the early hours of the morning, it puts you out of sync with everything.”

“Mmm, I’d much prefer that anyway.” The idea of going to a stuffy restaurant didn’t appeal to Kat. She’d seen Colt ride out most days on his horse, and to actually be invited along filled her with joy.

“Good.” He kissed her shoulder and handed back the sponge. “I’ll be ready to leave in a half hour. Will that give you enough time to soothe your aching flesh?”

“Yes.” She guessed he was already thinking about their next lovemaking session. He leaned forward and kissed her.

“You sure have a satisfied look on your face,” he murmured close to her lips.

“I feel satisfied.” Kat had never felt so contented.

“It’s good to see.” He stood and began walking from the bathroom.

“Colt.”

“Yes?” He opened the door before resting easily against the doorframe. He looked intently at her.

“Thank you for being so understanding.”

“You’re welcome, baby. Half an hour, remember, or I might start changing my ways. I know what you women are like with long baths.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there.” She knew nothing would keep her away from him for long.

When she arrived downstairs, dressed in jeans and a red blouse, he’d already saddled up two horses. They waited, tethered to the verandah outside, their tails swishing impatiently. He placed a hat onto her head as she came out onto the porch decking. “The sun’s mighty fierce about now.” His two large dogs raised their heads, idly watching what was going on before settling back into sleep again.

He put his arm around her shoulder and guided her over to the smallest horse. “This is Midnight. She used to belong to my mother. She’s getting on a bit, so she won’t give you any trouble.” Kat almost fancied she saw a look of sadness drift into Colt’s eyes. She knew his parents had died in a car crash a few years ago. She, of all people, knew some emotions could never be healed.

Kat smoothed her hand down the graying, velvet muzzle. The old horse seemed to approve because she nodded her head and snorted several times. “I like you, too, Midnight,” she said, moving to the side to get a handhold on the saddle.

“Here.” Colt held out his hand, and she raised her knee. Immediately she was whisked into the air to sit astride the old black mare.

Colt placed a black cowboy hat on his head and flashed her a grin before effortlessly mounting his horse. He whistled, and the two Irish wolfhounds rose and stretched their legs. “Come on, you lazy good for nothing hounds. You can come for a ride, too. You’re getting idle in your old age.”

Kat giggled as the dogs slowly padded out onto the parched dry earth of the yard. “I think you’ve upset them.”

“Not for long. They love to run alongside the horses.” A quick flick of the reins saw them on their way down a track and onto the hundred acres of land that made up his ranch. After a while he turned and asked, “Would you like to up the pace?”

There was nothing she’d enjoy more, and she urged her horse to go faster. Soon they were galloping along the dusty, winding track. The wolfhounds kept up as their loping gait quickened. Kat knew her face held a smile. The sound of pounding hooves sent the blood racing through her veins. Coming back to Fairfax had been the best thing she’d ever done. Colt moved ahead, his long, lean physique at one with his horse. He’d never looked more at ease with himself. Her heart was beginning to open up to him. If he kept chipping away at her armor, she knew she’d fall for him in a big way. The only worry on the horizon was his preference for a BDSM lifestyle. She guessed she’d do as he suggested and read more about it. That way there could be no misunderstanding.





Chapter Nine



Stretched out on the picnic blanket with a hat protecting his face, the warmth of the sun beat relentlessly down onto Colt’s body. Surely this was perfect? A warm wind whipping through the trees, a glass of chilled wine, some cold cuts of meat, and a beautiful woman lying next to him. He breathed in. Nope, it couldn’t get more perfect than this.

He raised his hat and stared at her. She looked totally relaxed, chewing a piece of grass. Occasionally, he’d hear her hum a familiar tune. The dogs were lying in the shade of a big oak tree. Once in a while they’d open an eye or flick their tails. Colt lay back and covered his face with his hat once again, listening to the soft neighs of the horses tethered close by. The gentle buzz of a bee caught his attention as it went about its business.

Within a few minutes, Kat moved across and rested her head on his shoulder. “Tell me how you came to set up Club Fusion, Colt. Why do you choose to run a sex club?”

He wrapped an arm around her and held her close, stroking a hand into her soft dark hair. “I guess it all started when I met Angie. As you know, we were both into the BDSM lifestyle.

“Angie suggested running a club where like-minded couples could meet and talk. When I looked into the logistics, it seemed a lucrative way of making money.”

“What was Angie like?”

“Why?”

“I’d just like to know, that’s all. She seems to have played a key part in your life. You spent six years with her. That’s a long time to be with someone. Besides, there aren’t any pictures of her around the house. I just want to fill in the gaps.”

He shouldn’t be surprised that Kat was starting to ask questions. He guessed she wanted to know all about him. There were some things he knew would be difficult to reveal. To be honest, he’d always pushed those thoughts from his mind. Sometimes it was best not to think too deeply.

“You don’t need to be jealous of Angie, Kat. We split up a long time ago.”

“I’m not jealous.”

“Are you sure? You already want to redecorate the bedroom.” Colt guessed jealousy had a part to play because he couldn’t tolerate the idea of her with any other man, either.

Kat smoothed her hand over his chest, her fingers tracing over the buttons one at a time until she reached the bare flesh of his neck. She gently stroked his lips, letting the back of her fingers drift across his cheeks. Her eyes were hooded as she stared intently at him. “I love these lines, Colt, at the side of your mouth. For as long as I can remember, you’ve always had dimples, but they’re so sexy now, especially with this five o’clock shadow.”

“So you like dimples and rough skin, eh?” He raised his brows.

“I’ve a confession to make. I had a crush on you when I was fourteen. I first fell for you when you rescued me from all the aspiring prom queens. They took great pleasure in making fun of the geeky girl and her oddball mother.” She smiled wistfully. “I used to dream about you every night. You were my knight in shining armor.”

“That’s real nice, honey.” He became serious, and his brows drew together. “The money you borrowed, Kat? Did you manage to pay it all back?”

“I’m managing.”

He lifted her chin and looked intently into her eyes. “If you need any help, just let me know. I can easily pay it off for you.”

She shook her head. “Like I said, I’ll sort it out myself. Besides, it reminds me of how stupid I’ve been. Talking of reminding, you haven’t yet answered my question.”

“Which is?”

“What was Angie like?”

He rubbed a hand over his face and into his hair. Kat would not let this go. “She’s tall, slim, and blonde.”

“She sounds very beautiful, Colt.”

“She was, is very beautiful,” he replied, knowing full well where the conversation was leading. He supposed he’d just have to go with it.

He guessed Kat must have thought his melancholy was a sign of regret because she said, “It sounds like you had the perfect relationship with her.”

“It’s not what you think. We’ll never get back together again, Kat. What we shared is finished for good.”

“But what happened? You both set the club up, and then you split, almost immediately after the doors opened to the public. Why?”

He closed his eyes tightly shut, trying to keep the memories at bay. “Leave it, Kat. Just leave it.”

Immediately she pulled away and sat bolt upright on the blanket. “Okay, but don’t expect me to reveal any more about myself. If you’re not up for it, then neither am I.” He could hear the irritation in her voice. He guessed Kat would always say it as it was.

He took a deep breath. “After I met Angie, we lived in Minnesota for a while. She had a good job as an air hostess, and we had a child together, a son. When Josh was two years old, he caught meningitis. He didn’t stand a chance. One minute he was a healthy toddler, the next he was in hospital fighting for his life on a respirator. When he died, both Angie and I fell apart. He was our world. He meant everything to us. I found it hard to accept he was dead. I just couldn’t discuss it. Not with the doctor and certainly not with Angie.