Amy's Redemption Read online

  “Obviously, since I seem to fit right in with the kinky goings on around here,” she answered dryly.

  RJ grabbed both meat platters, saying, “See, it wouldn’t matter to anyone around here if you and I had a relationship, Amy. Since most of them think we already do, we may as well indulge ourselves.” He smiled knowingly when her nipples beaded into hard points. “Your body likes the idea.”

  “Yeah, well my mind doesn’t, so forget it.” Amy grabbed the green beans, went around him and set them in the middle of the table. The seats were already filled and the guys digging in lustily as she turned to go back into the kitchen.

  “Hey, aren’t you joining us, Amy?” Rory asked as he piled his plate with potatoes.

  “Uh, no, thank you.” The seats were all filled except one for RJ, and Amy didn’t know if she was supposed to eat with the hands or not, so she had planned on eating at the smaller kitchen table.

  “Sure you are.” RJ grabbed another chair from the kitchen and set it next to his. “Grab another plate and sit down.”

  Amy took her place next to RJ reluctantly, trying to avoid Rick who was seated next to her. He had other ideas, however, when he held out his hand and introduced himself.

  “Hi, Amy. I’m Rick. Maddy and I usually don’t crash here for meals, but RJ spoke so highly of you that we wanted to meet you.”

  Amy took his hand and couldn’t help but return his smile. His blue eyes crinkled at the corners and his sandy hair fell into his eyes giving him a boyish look. Remembering how he had fucked his wife so hard and thoroughly, however, reminded her he was far from being a boy.

  “Nice to meet you, too,” she replied, glad that he didn’t indicate in any way that he knew about her voyeurism. “You’re welcome for meals anytime.’

  “No, he’s not,” one of the hands protested. “He has his own woman to cook for him. Besides, there’ll be more for us without him here. Maddy, of course is always welcome.”

  Good natured teasing kept up throughout the meal and Amy soon found herself relaxing and enjoying herself. She noticed the language was curbed occasionally with sheepish looks at her and Maddy, making Amy smile inwardly. What a contradiction they all were, she thought with growing fondness. They thought nothing of public, outdoor sex, either participating or watching, but didn’t approve of cussing from women or in front of them. By the end of the dinner, she realized they were all very close, more like one large, unconventional family rather than employer and employees. If she wasn’t careful, she admitted to herself later that night, she would find herself fighting off not only the desire for sex with her boss, but also the desire to become a permanent part of his unconventional family. And she knew from experience, nothing was permanent.

  Chapter Nine

  “Dammit, Amy,” RJ said as he came outside and found Amy once again feeding his dogs table scraps. “Those are working dogs that I paid a fortune for. Quit spoiling them.”

  Amy ignored his brusque tone, smiled at him and finished giving the grateful dogs the leftover ham from breakfast. “They do work hard for you and deserve a treat now and then. Stop griping.” The sun was out and shining brightly, warming the morning quickly and it was too nice to take exception to her boss’s gruff tone. Besides, she knew he really didn’t care if she spoiled the dogs as long as they kept working the cattle and horses when instructed.

  In the last week the dogs had taken to following her around when she was outside, making the hands and RJ constantly shake their heads in bemused frustration over her growing attachment to them. She had always had a fondness for animals, but had never been able to have any pets. While she was still leery of the horses, mostly due to their size, she loved playing with the dogs in her spare time.

  “Fine, but the minute they slack off I’m sending them to the pound.”

  Amy laughed outright at that lie. She’d seen RJ romp with the collies and knew he was fond of them. “No you won’t. Everyone done with breakfast?” she asked, wiping her hands down her jeans when she had given them the last bites.

  “Yes. Why didn’t you join us?”

  “I ate when I got up so I could start the pies as soon as breakfast was fixed. I didn’t realize all of you had been dessert deprived.” In the last week she had baked four cakes, ten pies and several batches of cookies, all of which were devoured with grateful enthusiasm.

  RJ moved closer to her, grinning wickedly. “You spoil everyone around here with your special treats, Amy. When are you going to start spoiling me?” His hands grabbed her hips and hauled her up next to him.

  “I think you’re all too used to getting your own way already, boss.” She emphasized his title, hoping its use would stop the descent of his head. She should have known it wouldn’t. In the past week, he had taken every opportunity to kiss and fondle her whenever she was near, no matter where they were at, or who was watching. As it had been from the moment she had approached him at Rusty’s, her body’s needs over rode her minds objections. The more he pursued her, the more he touched her, the harder it was to stay aloof, to deny her desire and keep him at arm’s length.

  She moaned when his lips took hers in a hard, wet kiss, opened acceptingly to admit his questing tongue and shuddered in pleasure as she kissed him back. When his hand slipped under her shirt and cupped her breast, she arched into his touch, loving the feel of his large, calloused palm shaping and molding her bare pliant flesh. When his fingers grasped her nipple, pulled and pinched it, the pleasure/pain went straight to her pussy. Gasping, she pulled her mouth from his.

  “RJ, you’ve got to stop.”

  RJ just smiled down at her, his eyes shadowed by the brim of his hat. “Why?” His free hand went to her ass, pushing her hips against the rigid length of his cock. “I could take you right here, bend you over the steps, pull those jeans down and be inside your pussy in two seconds flat. If you were wearing a skirt, all I’d have to do is flip it up and your beautiful ass would be exposed, there for my hand to touch, squeeze, smack, whatever I wanted. Are you wet, Amy? Would your sweet cunt welcome me with damp heat?”

  Since Amy’s panties were damp with her need, her heart racing with the lust his words induced, she didn’t bother denying her body’s reaction to his. But that didn’t mean she intended to give in. “Probably,” she answered truthfully, “but that’s not going to happen.” Pulling away from him, she was relieved when he let her go.

  “Not this morning anyway. I’m headed into town. Do you need anything?”

  Amy resented the seemingly quick and easy way he seemed to get himself under control. She always needed time and space to calm her raging senses after an encounter with him. “Yes,” she answered shortly. Her irritation only made him smile wider, damn him. Taking a deep breath, she asked him in a nicer tone, “Would you check on my car and see how much it’s going to cost to get it fixed?”

  When his brows drew down in a frown and his hands fisted on his hips, she knew she was in for a lecture. “Why don’t you use that bonus check I just gave you for a down payment on a new car? Yours is a piece of junk and not worth putting that kind of money into.”

  “I don’t want to be saddled with car payments and can’t afford a car otherwise. I need to get my car back.”

  Car payments would make it difficult for her to just up and take off. If she continued making payments after she left, her location could be traced easier and quicker. If she didn’t, she’d then have creditors on her ass as well as the law.

  “Your car won’t get you back and forth into town on a regular basis, not for long anyway, even after you get it fixed. I’ll make one of the ranch’s trucks available for you.”

  “I can’t drive a stick and they’re too big. I can’t handle anything that large.”

  She was a little thing, he thought, eyeing her petite frame and trying to picture her behind the wheel of one of his oversized trucks. “You’re right. You need something smaller. I’ll see what I can do and tell the shop to go ahead and get your car drivable again.”
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  “My car will be fine, RJ. I’ve made do with less, believe me.”

  He didn’t like the thought of her making do with less. He had a feeling Amy’s life had been a rough one and he had the urge to spoil her much the same as she spoiled his dogs. He had the money to indulge her and if his actions had ulterior motives, well there was nothing wrong with that. He had made it plain to her that he wanted her back in his bed from the minute she had arrived on his ranch.

  “As long as you’re here and working for me, you don’t have to make do. I take care of my own, Amy.” Tipping his hat, he smiled at her. “See you tonight at dinner.”

  Amy watched him saunter towards his mammoth black truck, enjoying the sight of his tight ass encased in worn denim. The man was a walking wet dream, she thought with longing. His constant assault on her senses drove her to masturbate nightly, yet she had failed to achieve the heights of ecstasy she had experienced with him. Her orgasm when she had masturbated in front of him was ten times more explosive than when she was alone, even though he had done nothing but watch her. Just his presence, those burning green eyes staring at her, that hard cock seeping with his lust, was enough to ignite her like a firecracker.

  As soon as she had her car back and a little money saved up, she was going to have to decide once and for all if she was staying or going, because if she was staying she knew it was only a matter of time before she was back in RJ’s bed, just like he wanted. Soon, her desire for that very same thing would outweigh her need to keep herself safe.

  RJ drove into town, his mind on Amy, as it had been ever since she had stepped foot into Rusty’s. Her small body and big attitude turned him on, that lost, alone look in her violet eyes warred with her fierce independence and drew out his protective instincts. One minute he wanted to redden her buttocks to a fiery hue before fucking her long and hard and the next he wanted to coddle her and fight all her demons. If she didn’t give in to him soon, he was going to go stark raving mad.

  He was tired of getting off with his own hand and his constant assault on Amy’s senses was wearing thin. He knew he could always get a blowjob from Maddy during one of her and Rick’s outdoor fucks, but his body, especially his dick, wanted Amy. The few hours he had spent with her that first night and their quick fuck her first day at the ranch had only wetted his appetite, leaving him craving more.

  But it wasn’t just her body he wanted made available to him. He yearned to learn more about the young girl who seemed to be alone in the world. Even though he and the boys had tried repeatedly during the evening meals to draw her out, get her to talk about herself, she had deftly put them off, her answers revealing nothing of herself or where she had come from.

  Toby had asked her jokingly one night if there were any more at home like her. Her flippant answer of ‘there’s no one like me,’ revealed she was alone in the world, and he knew all his hands were becoming attached to their new cook. They all looked at her with desire, but knowing he had plans in her direction, they had respectfully kept their distance. He had no such intentions, however.

  A week later, RJ’s patience and temper were about to detonate and if Amy didn’t give in soon, he was going to have to resort to drastic measures. She had seemed appreciative of the new red crossover he had bought for her use, but had still taken her old, unreliable car into town the other day. He had taken the time that same day to shop for some skirts for her, eager to see her in them, anxious to have that easy access to her sweet body. Not in word or deed had she acknowledged his gift after he had left the packages on her bed, which only added fuel to the fire growing inside him. To make matters worse, she had gotten good at avoiding him, giving him little chance to catch her unawares, grab her, kiss her and try to coax her into his bed. She joined them only for dinner, then disappeared into her room right after cleaning up. He usually did his paperwork and bookkeeping in the evenings and by the time he emerged from his office, she was shut away in her room, usually curled up in her bed reading when he called out good night.

  Between her evasiveness and the usual spring time roundups on the ranch that required him to put in long days, there was little time or opportunity to entice her nicely. What was even more frustrating were the few times he caught her unaware, eyeing him with longing and lust, only to turn cool and indifferent again. When he awoke again that morning with another raging hard on, his sour mood turned even worse.

  Amy wasn’t in the kitchen when he entered, but he could hear her rummaging around in the large walk in pantry. Instead of telling her good morning like usual, he ignored her and headed into the dining room where breakfast was already waiting as well as several of his hands.

  “Mornin,” he greeted them gruffly while filling his mug with coffee. Taking his seat, he had to admit, Amy was a great cook and had no problem keeping everyone fed and happy these past two weeks. A heaping stack of banana pancakes made its way down the table to him, as well as maple flavored sausages and a bowl of fresh fruit.

  “Man these pancakes are good,” Mike said before stuffing another forkful into his mouth. “I haven’t had banana pancakes in ages. You sure did good hiring that little gal, boss.”

  “You’d think so, wouldn’t you,” he grumbled sourly, wondering at the wisdom of keeping such temptation around to torment him.

  “Speaking of Amy,” Toby said, ignoring RJ’s grumpy attitude. “She keeps asking us to help her learn to ride. I know you said you wanted to show her the ropes, boss, but if you want I could get her up on Daisy for about thirty minutes this morning.”

  “I need you to help finishing bringing in that two hundred head from the north pasture. They’ve about left that area bare and need to be moved today or we’re going to have to start hauling hay out to them. Might have to anyway if this dry weather continues to hold. I might be able to take some time later this week with her. Daisy’s a good choice though.”

  Truth was, RJ could spare Toby for thirty minutes this morning, but he wanted to be the one to teach Amy all her new experiences, not just the sexual ones. Besides, sitting behind her on a horse, would give him ample opportunity to touch her again. Just the thought of having her that close to his body again lightened his mood, and he vowed to make it happen soon.

  “Okay, but she’s awfully impatient when she wants something.”

  So was he, RJ thought ruefully. “Well, she can wait a few more days. We have better things to do than cater to her.”

  Amy moved away from the door and left the kitchen, irritated with RJ again. She had never asked him or any of the hands to cater to her. It was his idea to buy another vehicle for her to drive. And, even though she had fallen in love instantly with the cherry red crossover, she didn’t want to be beholden to RJ for anything except her job. And she definitely hadn’t asked him to shop for her, to buy her those cute skirts all in the right size that she was itching to wear. Ten skirts ranging from short, to mid calf, to ankle length in a variety of denim, light cottons and rayon looked comfortable and stylish. But it was the easy access RJ had mentioned and she could easily envision that kept her from wearing them. She was having a hard enough time staying away from the man as it was.

  While it was true she had been pestering the boys to take her riding the last few days, it was only because she knew she’d never get over her fear of the animals if she didn’t get up close and personal. She had made several trips to the stables and corrals just to pet them and feed them carrots and sugar cubes, something one of the guys said was a good way to get them used to her presence. She wanted to fit in at the ranch, and knew learning to ride would be a big step in that direction. She had seen Maddy riding with Rick as well as with another woman, and even though they had waved at her and were always friendly, she had still felt left apart from the everyday activities around the ranch.

  Besides, she thought with growing irritation, even though he had promised to teach her, she hadn’t been bothering him with her requests. Of course, that was due to the fact that she couldn’t spend two minutes a
round him without becoming aroused and tempted to give in to his demand to return to his bed, a temptation she was getting hard pressed to resist.

  Amy waited until they had cleared out before returning to clean up the kitchen and start making sandwiches for lunch. Her irritation with RJ’s attitude only grew as the morning wore on and she finished her chores. By two o’clock, she needed some fresh air and a brisk walk to get herself under control. The afternoon was warm and sunny again and she found herself enjoying the wide open spaces of the ranch more and more each day. It was such a contrast from the crowds and noise of the big cities, all she had ever known. Whenever she found herself getting restless, she simply went walking, exploring the ranch, learning by watching how much went into running such a huge spread. It was amazing how it was both relaxing and exhilarating to be able to walk anywhere without fear of being accosted or mugged.

  Amy was feeling calmer an hour later after hiking through the woods again. Walking up the path to the stables, she noticed a pretty horse saddled and tethered in the corral. Climbing on the rail in front of it, she held her hand out and was please to see he was friendly. She hadn’t noticed this one before and she wondered if he was new. He wasn’t as big as some of the others, but with his dark brown coat and four white calves, he was striking. Surely, she thought as he kept nuzzling her hand for more attention, he would be okay with her just climbing on his back and sitting. At least that would give her the feel of riding a horse without the actual movement.

  Climbing down, she checked the stables first, but didn’t see anyone around, so she entered the corral and approached the horse slowly, all the while talking softly to him. He remained calm, even when she stepped up on the bench along the rail to mount him.

  Swinging her leg over his back, she had just settled in the saddle, thinking how easy it was, when the horse reared its head, neighing wildly. Amy barely registered the shouts coming from behind her as she grasped frantically to hold on to something as the horses hind end bucked hard. Unfortunately, she missed and the next thing she knew, she was sailing through the air.