Conquering Claudia (Submissives of Rawhide Ranch #27)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

“Ah. Mon. Dieu,” Claudia found herself murmuring, then wondered if she’d actually said the words out loud.

She gripped the edge of the front desk in the Rawhide Ranch lobby as he walked through the doors: the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen.

The kind of man who made her skin tingle simply looking at him, who literally made her knees go weak. And her friend Micah’s cousin.

Oh, yes, she knew Brody Hale, had been avoiding her insanely intense attraction to him since she’d first met him at the kink club where she’d become friends with Micah and Arrow.

She’d fought it down every time he’d come to Dallas to visit and they all hung out at the dungeon, or at Micah and Arrow’s place.

But now he was here at Rawhide Ranch, and she couldn’t get her hands to stop shaking, or deny the heat building between her thighs.

Damn hormones.

Damn Micah, who hadn’t given her a heads up.

She bit her lip and looked down at the computer screen as he moved across the lobby. Not that she was actually in the middle of anything, but he was almost too much to look at.

Almost.

She had to glance back up as he approached the desk.

Yep, he was still there, not some figment of her imagination.

Brody Hale. Well over six feet tall, with short dark hair, dark eyes, a close-cropped beard that only served to accentuate his thoroughly masculine features, and more muscle than she’d ever seen on any human being.

Her entire body was humming with some low tone that sent goosebumps up her spine and made her insides go soft and loose.

“Claudia, hi,” he said, his voice deep with a bit of a husky edge that went through her like a small electric shock. “Micah told me you worked here, but I thought you worked in one of the restaurants?”

“I did. Um… I do. But I help here and in the gift shop when they need me.”

“It’s nice to see a familiar face,” he said, smiling, a dimple creasing one cheek.

Down girl.

“So, what are you doing here?” she asked, then nearly bit her tongue. “I mean, I’m just surprised to see you at the Ranch.”

“You know Micah and Arrow decided to elope since they’re in Italy, anyway. I offered to cover Arrow’s next course here so they didn’t need to rush home. I’m presenting on Post-Injury or Illness: Rediscovering Yourself Through Kink.”

“Oh,” was all she could manage in response. “That’s one of the six-week courses, isn’t it?”

“It is. I’m really excited to be here and glad Arrow and Derek have enough trust in me to stand in.”

“Well, you’re certainly qualified. I’ve seen you play at my old club in Dallas when you were visiting Micah and Arrow.”

“It’s been too long since we ran into each other,” he said. “You weren’t in Dallas the last couple of times I went. I was a little bummed not to see you there, but Micah told me how happy you were here at the Ranch. How long have you been living here?”

“About a year and a half. I love it here.”

“You seem to be thriving,” he said, his dimple flashing again as he smiled at her. “So, what do I need to do to check in?”

“Let me look up your reservation.” She tapped the keyboard and brought up his details, and just the sight of his name on the computer screen sent a long, lovely shiver through her.

“Seems like you’re all set. It looks like they’ve put you in one of the staff apartments, since it’ll be a longer stay.

It’s the big building just outside and to your right.

You’re on the third floor, in apartment 321,” she said, then swallowed hard.

It was the unit next to her own. “There’s an underground garage where you can park—just take any open space.

And there’s an elevator that goes up to the apartments.

Also, if you ever need to come from that building to this one in bad weather, there are tunnels that run between them.

You can walk through, or you’ll also see golf carts parked at either end if you’re carrying something heavy, or don’t want to walk. ”

“That’s really brilliant, given that winters can be harsh in the mountains. Derek has thought of everything, hasn’t he? If you’ll just point me in the right direction.”

“Of course. What kind of car are you driving? So I can enter it into the computer and issue a permit for you.”

“It’s a Ford Bronco that’s dark blue under all the road dust. I decided to drive rather than fly. There’s some really beautiful countryside between Denver and here.”

“I imagine there is. Let me just enter the information”—she paused to tap the text app on the computer—“annnd, it’s done.”

“Perfect. And Claudia? I really am glad to see a familiar face.”

“So am I,” she said, doing her best not to let out a purr with her words. But damn, this man was hot with a capital “H”.

Before she had to fight against that purr caught in her throat, Master Derek, the owner of Rawhide Ranch, walked up to the counter.

“Brody Hale? I’m Derek Hawkins,” he said, shaking his hand. “I heard you were due to arrive about now. How was your trip?”

“Good. Smooth travels all the way from Denver.”

“You live just outside of Denver, if memory serves,” Derek said, his brows furrowing. “On a ranch, right?”

Brody chuckled, a deep tone coming from somewhere in his broad chest, sending a shiver through Claudia’s body.

“If you can call it that. I have twenty acres and a small barn, two horses. And just a few goats and some chickens, and a pig I rescued when someone thought they’d gotten one of those baby pot-bellied pigs, then it grew up to be three hundred pounds.

I’m hoping to do more rescue work, though. ”

“We have an animal rescue here now in case Arrow and Micah didn’t tell you. In fact, Claudia here is good friends with Reese, who runs the rescue. Maybe she’ll take you down to the barn later.”

“Of course,” Claudia said, her cheeks heating at the thought of being alone with him. The intense attraction she’d always felt for him had escalated each time she’d seen him in Dallas, especially after her divorce.

“You two already know each other, I’m told,” Derek said.

“Yeah, we do,” Brody agreed.

“Oh, yes, a little,” she managed to get out.

Derek smiled. “Well, time to get to know each other better, I guess. What luck that you two are meeting up again here, huh?”

Was it her imagination, or was Master Derek up to his old matchmaking again?

Not that she and Brody would ever be a match.

He was a good eight years younger than she was and looked like he’d been carved by the gods.

And she wasn’t in the market for another relationship.

She was finally learning to be happy on her own.

But that body… that face… that voice, that despite being barely into his thirties was full of good humor and command—a devastating combination.

And not wanting to pursue a relationship didn’t mean they couldn’t connect, since he was there at the Ranch.

Maybe the universe was handing her an opportunity, and she’d be foolish to waste that chance.

“Claudia? When are you done with work?” Brody asked. “I’d like to see the animal rescue if you have time. I could use some pointers on how to get a real rescue set up. I’m sure there are a hundred details I haven’t thought of.”

Derek glanced at his watch. “She should be done in about an hour; just enough time for you to get settled in your room. I’ll have Sadie let Reese know you two will be down. That okay with you, Claudia? Or did you have plans?”

“Only if you’re up to it,” Brody said. “I’m here for six weeks; there’s plenty of time.”

“No, I’m totally free,” she answered. “And Reese and her husband Arlo will definitely be able to help you out with organizing a rescue. I’d be happy to introduce you.”

“Great. I’ll meet you here in the lobby when you’re done working?”

“Sure. Sounds good,” she answered, catching Master Derek’s too-satisfied smile from the corner of her eye. She raised an eyebrow at him so he’d understand she knew what he was up to.

“It’s good to have you here, Brody,” Derek told him with a clap on the shoulder. “We can meet tomorrow to go over your curriculum, and I’ll have Sadie show you your classroom. Ten a.m. work for you?”

“Yep. I’ll be at your office at ten.”

“Excellent. Enjoy the barn. And don’t mind the Littles’ shenanigans. I’d like to be able to assure you there won’t be any, but there are way too many here for me to keep track of them all.”

“I like Littles,” Brody said with a low chuckle. “I find them charming.”

“I’ll do my best to get them to promise not to pull anything involving glitter,” Derek said, grinning. “Biodegradable, of course, but that stuff gets everywhere.”

“I played pro football; I’m sure I can handle a little glitter.”

Claudia watched the exchange between the two men, and Brody’s easy confidence and relaxed manner were maybe the sexiest things about him.

She’d always thought so. He was one of those people who got along with pretty much everyone.

They’d definitely gotten along well when they were hanging out with his cousin, but she’d been so newly divorced, and she hadn’t had the confidence yet—or the eighteen months of hard work in therapy she’d done since she’d arrived at the Ranch—and she wouldn’t have dared to feed into his flirtatious nature.

But now? Now there was a new possibility, if she dared. If he was still interested.

He sure seemed to be if the way he kept smiling at her was any indication.

She’d have to decide what, exactly, she was going to do about him. Or with him. That idea would have seemed insane to her even a year or so ago, but the healing she’d done here at Rawhide Ranch had brought her a very long way from the broken woman she’d been when she arrived.