Chapter Two
A few hours later, Eden walked into the barn Mary told her about and was surprised at how big it was. It also felt cozy with real tables and cushioned chairs. The walls were adorned with horse memorabilia and pictures.
To the left was a long buffet table loaded with food, and Mary and a man stood behind it, serving people and smiling.
“There she is,” Mary said when Eden walked up. “Come and meet my husband, Clinton.”
Mary got the man’s attention. “This is the woman I was talking about. Eden, meet my husband, Clinton.”
Eden reached over the table to shake hands. “It’s very nice to meet you,” Eden said.
Clinton was a cowboy in every sense of the word. He was large-boned and strong, and his face was dark from being out in the elements for years. His persona was pure dominant male, but he had a gentle smile that drew her in.
“I’m glad to meet you, young lady,” Clinton said. He pulled Mary against him, holding her tightly, and kissed her temple. “My Mary talked about how sweet you are and how excited she was to have an adult woman on the ranch for a few weeks.”
Eden grinned. “I was equally excited to meet her, and I hope we can spend some time together.”
Clinton grinned. “I think she would like that. Now, come and eat.”
“It all looks so good,” Eden said as Mary filled a plate for her. Eden laughed. “Are you sharing this with me?”
Mary giggled. “No, do the best you can.”
“Oh, I’ll definitely do that.”
“The drinks are at the end, and if you’d like, come sit with us. We sit at the smaller round table close to the buffet in case someone comes in late or needs something,” Mary said.
“That would be wonderful. I’ll meet you there,” Eden said and moved down the table to grab a glass of tea.
She set down her plate and glass and sat before she looked around. Her gaze passed over a group of men but then zoomed back when she saw the larger one staring her way.
Eden looked over her shoulder, and no one was there. She turned back, confused. He smiled as he kept staring at her, which made her slightly anxious. Even from where she sat, he exuded male dominance. He was like the men she had read about in the books she liked.
Doms had a way about them that turned women’s heads, and men wanted to be like them.
When Mary and Clinton sat down, her attention was distracted. She kept herself from looking at the corner and concentrated on the discussion.
A person sat down in the seat to her right, and Mary and her husband were to the left. She was laughing at something Clinton said when she turned to say hello.
Her breath choked off, and her body stiffened. The man from the corner sat very close to her, and she couldn’t get her heart to settle down. His scent made every cell in her body tingle. But it was the way he stared at her that made it impossible to keep looking into his eyes.
“Cain, this is one of your students, Eden,” Mary said. “Eden, this is the boss, Cain.”
Eden swallowed and raised her hand, which he grasped. She cleared her throat. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said. She tried to pull away from him, only to have him tighten his grip.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
The deep timbre of his voice sent another wave of heat, making her nipples tingle and her cunt spasm. Her eyes rose to his and then immediately lowered. God, everything about the man was dangerous.
Eden tugged harder, and he finally let her go, making it easier for her to breathe. “This is a beautiful ranch.”
Cain nodded. “Thank you. It’s been in the family for generations.”
She watched him take a bite and was mesmerized by the way his jaw tightened when he chewed and his throat when he swallowed.
She looked back at her plate and tried to think of something to say. “How long have you and your husband lived here?” she asked Mary.
Mary grinned. “He’s been here his whole life, and I moved out when we got married about fifteen years ago.”
“She’s a city girl,” Clinton said, making her and Mary laugh.
Mary rolled her eyes. “By city, he means the town closest to us. The population is only ten thousand. We’d known each other since school and drifted apart, but we met again at a barn dance, and we’ve been together ever since.”
“That’s wonderful. I’m glad it worked out for you.”
Mary leaned close to her and whispered, although the men could hear. “I have to admit the man scared me in the beginning.”
Eden’s eyes widened. “Why?”
“He’s very dominant, and I wasn’t used to it. I had to learn how to give up control to him, but I’ve never regretted it.”
Eden saw Mary look at her husband, and the way they smiled at each other was beautiful and brought tears to her eyes.
“Would you be able to give up control?” Cain asked.
Eden swallowed and turned his way. She kept her gaze on his throat. “I … I’m not sure. I’ve never had to.”
“Your husband…”
“Ex-husband,” Eden said.
“Ex-husband didn’t like to have control?” Cain asked.
“No. He wasn’t home a lot, and when he was, he didn’t like to be disturbed.”
“Do you have kids?” he asked.
“Yes. Two daughters,” Eden said.
“Was he good with them?”
Eden started to fidget, which she could tell Cain had caught. All the questions were making her nervous. “Not really. He didn’t have time for them either. He never went to games, or school events, or even the emergency room when one of the girls or I was hurt.”
“What did you do when you got hurt?” Cain asked.
She shrugged. “Drove myself.”
She could tell he didn’t like the answer. Before he could ask anything else, she stood. “I’m going to head out.” She looked at Mary and Clinton. “The food was wonderful.”
Clinton nodded as he ate, and Mary smiled.
“Thank you,” Mary said. “We’ll see you at breakfast.”
Eden turned to Cain and could tell he wasn’t pleased that she was leaving, but he was making her feel things she had never felt before.
“It was nice meeting you.”
“You, too. We’ll talk more later,” Cain said.
It sounded more like a threat than a promise. She just nodded and took her dishes over to a metal cart with plastic bins.
Once she closed and locked the door to her cabin, she was able to breathe normally again. It didn’t take away the desire she felt, but she was able to relax a bit.
God, she’d never felt this out of control and shaky. She’d always been fine around men, but the moment she saw Cain, that changed. Every cell in her body came alive, and it scared her because she didn’t know what she should do.
Now, she would just find ways to stay out of his way. It should be easy since the ranch was huge, and she was there only two weeks.