RED HOT RANCH Read online

  “I’m going to go take a quick shower; I want to take you back to my house tonight Izzy.” He told her, “I have something I want to talk to you about.”

  “Okay.” Izzy replied and then started to untie Robbie once he’d left the room.

  Robbie laughed. “Well, that was fun.”

  “It’s nice to see I still have my kinky side.” Izzy said grinning at her.

  “I think he’s going to propose to you.” Robbie said as she got up and stretched out her muscles. “Oh, and thanks for the orgasms by the way. Those were quite nice.”

  “What are friends for?” Izzy giggled. “And I don’t know what to think about that.”

  Robbie leaned down and grabbed Simon’s pants off the ground and pulled out his wallet.

  “Hey, leave that alone Robbie, that’s not yours.” Izzy said grabbing for it as Robbie opened his wallet and then her face went white.

  “What? What’s wrong?” Izzy asked her, rarely seeing her friend look horrified.

  “Do you know that he lied to you about who he really is?” Robbie whispered, looking at the bathroom in confusion.

  Izzy shook her head. “No, I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  “Simon is our mystery man client. He’s not a landscaper. This man is Charles Simon Loubatton.” Robbie held his ID up for her to see. “He lied to you.”

  “Why would he keep that a secret and not tell me?” Izzy said, feeling hurt.

  “Go ask him.” Robbie nodded at the bathroom; the look on her face though was one of rage on her friend’s behalf. “I can kick him in the balls for you, if you want.”

  “No, let me talk to him. I need to figure out what’s really going on.” Izzy said sighing; she headed for the bathroom and knocked on the door.

  Chapter 5

  Izzy walked into the bathroom and saw Simon, no wait Charles Simon, in the shower. She could see the outline of his toned body through the glass and didn’t know if she wanted to join him or rage at him for lying to her.

  “Want to tell me why you lied to me?” She asked him and saw him freeze with the soap mid-air.

  “Lied about what?” Simon asked her. He had a sinking feeling he knew exactly what she was upset about.

  “Who you really were.” She said sounding upset.

  “I told you who I was, I’m Simon.” He told her and tried to act normal as he soaped his body down.

  “Charles Simon Loubatton. Charles Loubatton. You lied to me and didn’t tell me the whole truth.” She said, feeling hurt that he hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her himself.

  “I can explain.” He told her, opening the door to the shower. Izzy was still naked so he pulled her into the shower with him before she could protest. Pulling her into his arms he held her tight and rested his chin against the top of her head. After a moment, he started to soap her body, cleaning her up.

  “I can understand why you’d be upset, I left information out by omission, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner. But you can imagine how many women harass me when they know who I really am and that I’m rich. I wanted to go after you as myself, rather than as rich billionaire that every woman would throw herself at. You liked me for me. Look at Robbie, she wouldn’t give me the time of day as a landscaper, but you did. You got to know the real Simon, which is what my closest friends and family call me. That’s the real me, the me that I wanted to share with you. I’m sorry I didn’t confide everything to you about my job, and my first name. I wanted to be with you and not have either one of us worry.” Simon told her as he rinsed her off and pulled her back into his arms.

  “How can I trust you if you won’t trust me?” Izzy said, feeling really hurt and angry at him, though she could understand why he had pursued her the way he did, and kept his identity private for now.

  “It’s not that I didn’t trust you, I just wanted to get to know you and let you spend time with me without all the pressure. I’m a private person; do you really think Robbie would have left me alone if she’d known I was worth billions?” He asked her gently, his hand coming up to cup her breast.

  “Probably not.” Izzy admitted knowing Robbie well. She would have chased after him and not even given Izzy a chance to get to know Simon.

  “I wanted to have a chance to fall in love with you as two regular people. The biggest mistake I made with my ex is allowing my finances to sway her opinion of me as a person. She was seduced by all of my money, she never really liked me, she hated the fact that I wanted to control sex and that I was kinkier than she liked. I think in some ways I scared her, my sex drive was high and she wanted to use sex for favors. I don’t play those games.” Simon told her. “I also wanted kids, and she didn’t want kids with me I guess. She wanted my money, but she didn’t want me.”

  “I don’t care about your money.” Izzy told him, wrapping her arm around his neck and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I like you Simon. I liked you when I first saw you with the horse, I liked you when I thought you did manual labor for a living and I still like you, even though you morphed into a rich billionaire. I don’t need or want your money, but I don’t like that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me. I’ll forgive you for it because I can understand, but no more secrets in the future, even by omission.”

  “I don’t mind what we did tonight, but I’ll admit Izzy, I don’t want to share you with anyone after this. If you are mine, I don’t like to share, and I don’t want anyone else but you. I’m a monogamous person when I am in a long term relationship.” Simon told her, his hand coming up to tug on her long brown hair.

  “I can live with that, I don’t mind sharing, but I don’t feel the pressing need to be with other people.” She whispered to him, realizing she felt a sense of relief that he wanted her and just her.

  Simon kissed her, grabbed her ass playfully and then pushed her down on her knees in the shower.

  “Suck me.” He told her, pushing his erection into her face and making it clear what he wanted from her.

  Izzy looked up at him from her knees and then wrapped a single hand around his cock and guided it to her mouth before sucking it inside. She licked around his thick head and down the shaft as her head bobbed up and down.

  Simon tangled his fingers into her hair and helped her go faster than she would have on her own.

  “Mmmm, that feels so good, don’t stop. Good girl, Izzy.” He told her as he fucked her mouth.

  Izzy wrapped one of her arms around his legs to balance herself as he rammed himself down her throat. She could feel the spray of the water dripping down their bodies as he slid in and out between her soft lips.

  He let out a loud groan and shot his load down her throat, holding her head still for a minute as he jerked in her mouth.

  Izzy coughed and pulled back after a moment, gasping for breath and then grinned at him, wiping her mouth off with the back of her hand.

  “This is one of the things I love most about you Izzy. Your willingness to do anything on a spur of the moment decision. It’s not just sex; you’ll take off with me for a picnic on the beach or a moonlight walk on the pier. You live life to the fullest and it’s a joy to be around you. I don’t want to lose that.” Simon told her as he helped her to her feet.

  Izzy looked at him and pressed a gentle kiss to his chest before putting her hand over his heart and looking up at him.

  “I love you Simon. I lusted after you the moment I met you, but your love for horses and the person you are outside of your business offices is the man I fell in love with. I don’t need big houses or fancy cars, I don’t need expensive clothes. I just need the man.” Izzy whispered to him. “I admire and respect you, and as long as we can communicate and work things out when we argue or disagree, I’m yours for as long as you want me.”

  “Marry me.” He told her, gripping her hips hard, pulling her against him so their bodies pressed chest to chest.

  “Are you sure?” She said, feeling completely shocked. She’d never even once considered that he’d propos
e to her, especially after a failed marriage and getting burned by his ex wife.

  “I don’t want to share you, and I want you to be mine. Marriage is the closest thing I’ve got.” He told her, grinning at her before pressing a kiss to her well used mouth.

  “I think I could handle that. You realize we have a lot of things we’d need to talk about if I agree to marry you though.” She told him. “Like where we would live, my business, children.”

  “I agree. I want kids. We can live wherever you need to live, I can work remotely most of the time, and I have assistants who can handle most stuff that doesn’t require me to travel for business. I wouldn’t ask you to quit your job, but I might ask you to consider doing some of the work behind the scenes when we have children. I don’t want them raised by nannies or in daycares.” He told her and stroked her hair gently. “You are going to be beautiful pregnant.”

  Izzy blushed and realized that she had never really given children much thought in the past. It was just one of those things she’d always assumed would just happen when the time is right.

  The money situation was a delicate one, and it needed to be said.

  “I will sign a prenup if you insist, but the idea that we’d go into our marriage thinking it would end in divorce disturbs me.” Izzy admitted to him.

  “I never even considered it with you. You aren’t the type to be spiteful, vindictive, or hurt me on purpose. I’ve seen you angry before, and you don’t lash out. If you want me to show you I trust you, I suppose this is my way of doing that.” Simon told her.

  “Private, quiet ceremony. No big grand gestures, I don’t want to be the center of attention.” Izzy said looking nervous.

  Simon nodded. “Just a few friends and family, quiet, at my estate. I might have to make an official announcement at some point to the media, but it should die down soon enough if we keep things low-drama and boring for them. The press will move on quickly if there’s nothing to hold their interest. Are there any secrets in your past that you are worried will get out?”

  “Well, I was pretty wild in college; it’s possible they could dig up some normal college-girl dirt. With pictures.” Izzy admitted, “Robbie was in some of them with me.”

  Simon laughed. “Those will blow over pretty fast and your past sex life doesn’t offend me. I’m not one of those males who think all females need to stay virgins until they get married. You have needs too, why do males get to be the only ones who get to have all the fun?”

  Izzy sighed and kissed him. “That is one of the many reasons I love you. You are so logical and reasonable. For having a lot of money, you don’t act spoiled or demanding like many of my clients do.”

  “I wasn’t handed a penny that I didn’t earn. I had to start my way at the bottom and work my way up before I could earn my inheritance from my grandfather and take over the company. I have a healthy appreciation for the working man… He said, and then as an afterthought, “And woman.”

  “I’m turning into a prune.” Izzy laughed, looking at her fingers and holding them up for him to inspect.

  Chapter 6

  “You look beautiful Izzy.” Robbie told her, giving her a hug. “I’m a little jealous of you. I always wanted a rich husband and there you go, landing one without even trying.”

  “You know his money doesn’t mean anything to me Robbie. Your man is out there, you just need to find the right one. Maybe you need to be open to finding one who isn’t rich.” Izzy told her, “You never know where you’ll find the right man.”

  “I won’t settle, you know me. But I will miss our occasional… playtime. I cannot believe he wants you to be monogamous.” Robbie said, laughing. “Wow, so many men would love the opportunity to play with two women together, and he insists he doesn’t like to share.”

  “He was okay with a onetime thing, but I think once he decided I was the right woman, he doesn’t want to invite anything into our bedroom that could cause problems. I understand his point of view, I love you like a sister Robbie, but I couldn’t date you.” Izzy said laughing.

  “The feeling is definitely mutual babe. You’re too much of a control freak outside of the bedroom for my tastes.” Robbie said, straightening the veil over Izzy’s face. “There, you look perfect.”

  “I will miss living with you Robbie. I don’t know what it’s like to be away from you for more than a few days at a time.” Izzy said, almost starting to cry, feeling overwhelmed.

  “Honey, sweetie, it’s your wedding day, don’t cry! I’m only a text away, and it doesn’t take more than twenty minutes to get to each other. We could meet half way and then it would only take ten! And we will still work together.” Robbie reminded her.

  “True. Okay, I’m ready to face Simon.” Izzy said, linking her arm through Robbie’s to walk through the door and down to the gardens in the back of his property.

  They had an outside wedding setup on the edge of the cliffs, overlooking the water down below. She had to walk past the horses, she’ll never forget the first time she saw him with them. His natural grace with them was a beautiful thing to see.

  Simon told her he wanted to ride with her on a regular basis, and looked forward to her officially moving in.

  Today was the day. Robbie and Izzy spent the last couple of weeks packing everything she planned on taking with her. Izzy intend to finish paying her part of the lease with Robbie, who admitted she was thinking of buying a house when their lease was up. She had saved so much money sharing rent with Izzy over the years that she could almost afford to buy her own home with cash.

  Izzy’s wedding dress was a princess gown with a fluffy skirt. It had a corset top that pulled in her waist and gave her perfect hourglass curves. She felt beautiful. Robbie had done her makeup and helped her style her hair. Simon had offered to pay for a makeup artist and a hairdresser, but Izzy didn’t want to do that, Robbie had offered and she felt that her best friend should get the right to help her on her wedding day.

  Her parents were here, she hadn’t thought they’d come down from New York since they didn’t really approve of her lifestyle or her job. They always assumed she’d be a lawyer like the rest of her family, but she never pursued it. She was the black sheep of the family. Her siblings were “too busy” to find a way to make it for the wedding on a months’ notice but Izzy didn’t care. What mattered most to her was Simon. She would have been happy signing papers in a court house and not telling anybody. Their wedding was for the two of them, to commit to one another, to cherish one another and know that the vows they took today were supposed to last a lifetime.

  Her father walked her down the aisle until they reached the pastor and Simon. Her father then handed his daughter’s hand into Simon’s big one.

  “Don’t you hurt my little girl; I know how to sue you.” He threatened Simon.

  “Yes sir, I promise I will take good care of her heart, I would never hurt your daughter.” Simon nodded grinning like a fool.

  “Good.” Her father replied and then went and sat down with her mother.

  Izzy looked up into Simon’s eyes and smiled. She knew she was making the best decision she had ever made in her life, her heart was singing with joy that Simon loved her in the same way she’d fallen in love with him.

  “You may now kiss the bride.” The pastor said loudly, the applause startling Izzy, as she’d been so focused on staring at Simon and repeating the words at the right time.

  “No regrets Izzy, I will love you forever.” Simon told her before claiming her mouth for the first time as her husband.

  She nodded as she wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes, kissing him back with enough fire and heat that people started making cat calls and whistles at the two of them.

  They turned and raised their hands in the air in a victory sign as they excused the guests to the tables of food and the open bars that had been set up.

  “Are you hungry?” Simon asked her, taking her arm and walking her towards the crowds of people who had moved f
rom the chairs to the buffet table and dancing area.

  “For you? Always.” Izzy said grinning and winked at him.

  THE RANCH HAND

  Chapter 1

  “Miss? Something I can help you with?”

  Skye Malone had nearly worn a hole in the rough pine floor with the toe of her boot, trying hard not to hear the whispers or feel the smirks at the back of her neck as she sat between two coarse men. The one to her left reeked of sweat and tobacco; the man to the right licked his lips lasciviously. Like either one was anything close to what she would ever want, and she squared her shoulders as she stepped in front of a broad-shouldered boy with wavy blonde hair.

  “My name is–”

  “Hate to break it to you, darling,” he said, cutting her off. “But we got all the wait staff that we need. Now maybe if you come back before the spring fling, we’ll see what we can do.”

  “No,” Skye said as she waved her hands in the air and firmly shook her head. “I’m here about… about the field work. Heard a rumor around town that y’all are looking for some help.”

  The men behind her laughed wildly, but Skye kept her eyes fixed forward as the boy’s blue eyes softened, and he just touched his fingers to her arm.

  “Miss, you don’t need to worry yourself about that,” he said. “I mean, it’s kind of sweet that you think that you can.”

  “I don’t think,” Skye said. “I know for a straight up fact.”

  The boy’s shirt looked like it cost more than what she made in a month, if that. But therein laid the point. She could spend the rest of her life on the outskirts of the Powell compound, waiting tables or selling things that she had no hope of paying for. But if she could get her hands dirty out in the field that meant the hope of stashing something away and a real chance to get out from under. Trailer trash she wasn’t, but she did live in a metal box among crying children and meth heads that were forever high. Was it wrong that she wanted more?