Chapter 16


    Jake


    I can hear Amber’s scream from inside the stable, and it sends a chill straight through my spine. That’s not a sound I ever want to hear her make. Something is clearly wrong!


    I immediately drop the veterinary medicine bag I was replenishing and rush outside. For a moment, I’m unsure where to look, but then I spot someone galloping out from the other side of the corral. Is that…? I curse under my breath when I hear Amber’s terrified scream and realize it’s her. What the hell is she doing riding Rustler? Why didn’t anyone stop her? I sprint outside to join the others. They all stand frozen, staring after her, their jaws nearly hitting the ground.


    ‘What the hell happened?’ I yell as soon as I reach them.


    ‘Rustler… H-he broke loose,’ Gary stammers.


    ‘What the fuck is Amber doing riding him?’ I shout angrily. I don’t even wait for a reply, but I run to my horse and jump on his back. Thank fuck we were about to head out and Duke is already saddled. The others still seem to be too much in shock to actually do something. ‘Tell Ray I went after her,’ I shout at a pale looking Gary.


    I spur on Duke, and he lunges forward, as if he understands the gravity of the situation. Rustler is a young horse and not fully broken in yet. We’ve only just gotten him to wear a saddle. We were going to bring him along to let him get used to being around cattle. No one was supposed to ride him yet! He’s still way too unpredictable. I guide Duke around the corral to follow Amber, but she’s nowhere in sight. Panic starts to tighten my chest. Where the fuck did she go?


    Then I spot fresh hoof prints in the mud, leading left toward the old windmill. I take a calculated risk and guide Duke to the left to follow the trail, my heart pounding in my chest. What if I’m wrong? What if I can’t find her? I haven’t asked Amber, but I doubt she’s ever ridden a horse before. Chances are she won’t last long on the back of a young, untamed horse. What if Rustler has already thrown her off somewhere, and she’s lying injured, or worse? The thought makes me sick to my stomach, pushing me to ride faster.


    ‘Fuck, fuck, fuck!’ I curse under my breath.


    I urge Duke to run even faster. We’re almost flying over the rough terrain. Once we get around the bushes I almost let out a sigh of relief, because I finally have eyes on Amber again. She’s still pretty far ahead of me, but at least she hasn’t fallen off yet.


    ‘Hang on, Amber,’ I mutter to myself. I keep my eyes fixed on her back. ‘I’m almost there. Keep holding on, baby!’


    Duke and I are slowly winning terrain. Rustler is strong and fast, but he’s not used to carrying someone on his back yet. He has no clear sense of direction either, so he swerves and pivots over the terrain, whereas Duke and I chase after them in a straight line. I hear Amber screaming anxiously. I have never believed in God, but right now I find myself praying to the one she grew up believing in to help keep her safe. Please! Please, I beg you, let her be able to hold on just a little bit longer!


    I lie flat alongside Duke’s neck as we are finally catching up with Amber and Rustler. We are nearing the windmill and I know that I have to stop them before they reach it, because the hill behind it is way too steep and full of holes. There’s no way that they’ll get off there safely at this speed, without either of them getting seriously hurt. I''m so close now, that I can see the terror on Amber’s face. She’s white as a sheet.


    ‘Hang on, Amber!’ I shout at her, as I come up on her left.


    ‘Help me,’ she screams. She sends me a panicked glance. I''m almost beside her now.


    ‘Keep holding onto the saddle horn and try to lean back,’ I yell at her. If Amber keeps her weight forward, she could tumble right off when Rustler comes to a sudden stop. ‘I’m going to catch the rope!’


    The rope that was used to tie Rustler to the corral is still hanging from his bridle. I thank that God I don’t believe in that Rustler hasn’t stepped on it during his run, or they could have taken a seriously ugly fall together.


    Rustler is still running alongside the fence that leads up to the windmill. I grip my saddle with my thighs and guide Duke as close to Rustler as possible, trying to trap him between us and the fence in order to slow him down. I take the reins in my left hand and grab a handful of Duke’s manes, before I lean as far over to my right as I can. I keep my eyes locked on the rope. Just a little bit further…


    Rustler, annoyed by the close proximity of another horse, moves his head in Duke’s direction to bite at his nose. I use that opportunity to finally grab his rope. I quickly sit back up and swiftly twist it around my saddle horn, to help me hold onto it. As soon as the rope is secure, I slow Duke down to a halt. Rustler tries to fight it and bucks twice, but once he realizes that he’s stuck, he quickly calms down. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I jump out of the saddle and run to Amber, who is trying to climb off Rustler''s back. She’s trembling all over her body and I rush to catch her, before she falls to the ground. My heart is beating like an out of control jackhammer by the time I’m finally able to pull her against me. I squeeze her so tightly that I fear I might break her ribs, but Amber hangs limply against my body.


    I want to ask her if she’s alright. I need to know that she’s okay, but my voice gets stuck in my throat. I don’t think I’ve ever been this terrified in my entire life. The thought of Amber getting hurt—or worse, that I could have lost her—nearly guts me.


    The two horses are dribbling restlessly besides us. They clearly don’t like being tied to each other. Fuck, I better do something about that before they trample us, or take off. I push Amber to the side against the fence, out of harm''s way, and take the two geldings apart. I tie them both to the fence a couple of feet away from each other.


    I try very hard to calm myself, but I’m still full of adrenaline when I walk back to Amber. She’s still slumped against the fence in the same position I left her, her expression blank, but I’m too overwhelmed to pay attention to her shock. I grab her face in my hands and force her to look at me.


    ‘What the hell were you thinking?’ I yell at her. ‘Huh? Are you out of your fucking mind? ANSWER ME!’


    Amber opens her mouth, but no sound comes out. She looks at me with terrified eyes, but I''m so agitated that it barely registers.


    ‘YOU DON’T DO THAT, Amber! You don’t fucking do that, you hear me?’ I shake her head with my hands. I can’t seem to stop shouting. I’ve never been so fucking worried in my entire life, and that is saying something. ‘You can’t just mount a horse you don’t know! That fucking horse is not even broken in yet! You could have gotten hurt! It could have gotten you…’ Killed. I can’t even say the word.


    Amber looks up at me with teary eyes, but she’s still not speaking. A desperate gasp escapes my throat and I tighten my grip on her hair.


    ‘Why the fuck did you that? I know that you are fearless, but you’re not fucking stupid!’


    Distraught, I bore my gaze into her eyes. I desperately need her to say something, just so I know she will be okay. Amber finally opens her mouth, but the croaking sound is barely audible.


    ‘Horse… just… want…’


    ‘ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?’ I yell at her again. I push her away from me and take a step back, desperately clenching my fists in my hair. Then I stride back towards Amber and grab her arms, shaking her again. ‘If you want to learn how to ride a horse, I will fucking teach you. But you don’t just mount a random horse! Are you fucking insane?’


    ‘Stop yelling at me. I’m not a child,’ Amber replies weakly, but she does scowl at me a little.


    The relief of hearing her speak a full sentence finally eases some of my stress, but I''m still pretty pissed that she endangered herself like that.


    ‘Then don’t behave so fucking immature!’ I snap at her. ‘How the fuck could you be so fucking stupid, Amber? Aren’t you supposed to be a responsible nanny?’


    ‘Yes, I’m a nanny, so stop treating me like I’m a fudging child!’ Amber replies angrily.


    If the adrenaline wasn’t still pumping through my veins, I probably would have laughed at Amber’s inability to curse, even in a fucked up situation like this. Right now, I’m not finding it funny though. I’m still just a fraction away from losing my mind over the danger she was in. So when Amber tries to walk away from me with a growl of frustration, I roughly grab her arm. Without even thinking about it, I turn her around and push her against the fence with her back towards me.


    ‘If you behave like a fucking child, I will treat you like a fucking child,’ I sharply retort. I hear Amber let out a gasp when I spank her, rapidly smacking my hand against her ass five times in a row.


    When I look up I expect to see anger on her face, or frustration, maybe. Honestly, I already regretted putting my hands on her the second my palm connected to her ass. I don’t hit women. Ever! It''s just the adrenaline from the situation pouring out, but I know it''s wrong the moment I do it.


    I immediately open my mouth to apologize, when I catch the look in her eyes. Amber doesn’t look angry or hurt. She looks… aroused? Seriously? Could that be? I know I should let her go, but I can’t resist testing to see if I’m right. I push Amber a little closer against the fence and spank her ass again with three consecutive slaps, while paying close attention to her face. Amber’s pupils dilate, and she lets out a barely audible moan.


    ‘Fuck, are you into this?’ I ask with a surprised chuckle.


    Amber doesn’t say anything, but when I let my hands slide to the front of her body I can feel her hard nipples pushing against my palm. Although that could just be from the cold, since she’s not even wearing a fucking coat. Her low, rapid breathing suggests it’s not just the chilly air, though.


    ‘Fuck me, you are! You are totally turned on right now!’ I exclaim, laughing out loud.


    I''m overwhelmed by the relief washing through me. If Amber is turned on, it means that she’s definitely alright and that she didn’t get hurt. Amber seems to misinterpret my relief for something else, though, because her cheeks flush and she casts her eyes downward in embarrassment. Before I know it she jerks her arm out of my hand and hurriedly walks away from me in the direction we came from.


    ‘No! No, wait!’ I call out as I run after her.


    I catch up with Amber in a few steps. I wrap my arms around her from behind to stop her from fleeing. Amber struggles to get loose, but I tighten my grip and pull her closer. Fuck, I missed feeling her luscious body against mine!


    ‘Don’t be embarrassed,’ I whisper in her ear. ‘You’re figuring out what you like. That’s a good thing! There''s nothing to be ashamed of.’


    ‘You laughed at me!’ Amber points out, sounding a little hurt.


    ‘I didn’t laugh about that,’ I promise. Amber reluctantly stops resisting and I pull her a little closer. ‘It caught me by surprise, that''s all. I’m just relieved you’re okay.’ I rub my nose across Amber''s jaw, to her ear, and press a kiss on her neck. ‘If a little dominance turns you on, I’m happy to play that game with you anytime.’


    I slowly start to unbutton her blouse, kissing her neck again. Amber doesn’t say a word, but her breathing becomes more irregular when I fold away the fabric and cup her voluptuous breasts. I slide my fingers underneath her bra and roughly pinch her erect nipples.


    Another gasp escapes Amber''s lips. I keep my left hand on her breast, but I slowly caress my right hand down her stomach. I slide it in the waistband of her jeans and stroke across her already damp panties. My sweet, innocent girl is definitely into this!


    ‘Perhaps you would like me to help you release some of that stress?’ I whisper in her ear.


    Amber is breathing loudly. She closes her eyes and leans into my touch.


    ‘Answer me,’ I suddenly say in a commanding voice, while simultaneously pinching her nipple and biting her earlobe.


    Amber doesn’t hesitate. ‘Yes,’ she exhales softly.