making her shiver. She leaned down and pressed a cheek to Bonnie’s warm neck. The smell of horse was like heaven.
Raúl cut a dashing figure, his dark silhouette cast against a bruised sky. Not for the first time, Maple wished she were different. She wished that she could fall for someone like Raúl. Her riding partner would never beat her and then make her come so hard it was difficult to walk afterward. He wouldn’t send mixed messages.
Despite the soft pace, riding was quickly becoming a strain on Maple. Her legs stretched open over the saddle pulled the denim of her jeans taut. The friction of moving up and down as they plodded along was excruciating.
Pinpricks dotted her vision, her ass hurt so much. Finally, she knew she needed to call it. “Hey, I’m feeling beat-- think we could turn back?”
They hadn’t gone for much of a ride, and she expected Raúl to protest in his friendly way, but he just nodded and wheeled Justice around. As they rode back, Maple needed something to distract her from the pain.
“So, do you plan on working for J.B. forever?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I mean, without proper documentation or citizenship, there isn’t much else I can do.”
Below her, Bonnie’s breathing was a little erratic. Maple stroked the horse and slowed them more. It wasn’t hard to remember that she was old, but Maple was surprised Bonnie was struggling after so short a ride. “What would you do if you had citizenship?”
His laugh cut through the quickly descending night. “Probably ranch, Belleza. But I’d want to own my own, you know? I like this life, but I have no way to move up and out. It’s J.B. or Mexico, and I don’t know anyone there. When my parents died, they took our family connections with them.”
While he said it in a lighthearted way, it still hurt Maple. She hated that he was tied to Deyton Ranch. It was a good place to work, of course. The meals were regular and filling, the accommodations comfortable. But she shouldn’t have worried about the women in the stable; they weren’t the captives.
Raúl and Mariela were. Trapped here, shackled by forces they couldn’t have altered if they’d tried.
Not knowing what to say, she opted for a simple “I’m sorry.”
Raúl hopped off Justice and ran inside to turn on the lights to the stable. “I’ll get him ready,” he offered, leading the horse to his stall. She got the impression he didn’t want to talk about it anymore.
As she swung down and off Bonnie, she felt the horse falter a bit. Gripping the reins and placing a steadying hand on her flank, Maple bit her lip.
“Are you okay, girl? Feeling a little under the weather? Let’s go get some carrots.” Leading slowly, she guided the horse into the stall. Bonnie’s flank clipped the door on her way in, causing Maple to gasp. The distress of Bonnie’s stumble erased any attention Maple had been paying to her own pain.
“Everything all right?” Raúl came in behind.
Maple started brushing her down. “No, I think maybe she’s sick. Will you grab some carrots?”
She worked carefully, pouring as much love as she could into caring for the horse. Raúl came back and offered a carrot while Maple grabbed a clean blanket to ward off the chill of the night. When there was nothing left to do for Bonnie, Maple kissed her nose and walked out.
It was then that the radiating heat from her ass demanded attention. Raúl sucked in his breath.
“What the hell is wrong with your ass?”
She whipped to look at him, eyes large. “Excuse me?”
“Your ass and thighs, Maple. They’re bleeding.”
Awkwardly kicking a leg back and straining to look over a shoulder, Maple saw that he was right. Riding must have opened some of the welts. Now thin trails of blood crisscrossed her jeans. “It’s fine. I just need a shower.” Her cheeks burned and she tried to walk away.
Raúl caught her wrist
Raúl cut a dashing figure, his dark silhouette cast against a bruised sky. Not for the first time, Maple wished she were different. She wished that she could fall for someone like Raúl. Her riding partner would never beat her and then make her come so hard it was difficult to walk afterward. He wouldn’t send mixed messages.
Despite the soft pace, riding was quickly becoming a strain on Maple. Her legs stretched open over the saddle pulled the denim of her jeans taut. The friction of moving up and down as they plodded along was excruciating.
Pinpricks dotted her vision, her ass hurt so much. Finally, she knew she needed to call it. “Hey, I’m feeling beat-- think we could turn back?”
They hadn’t gone for much of a ride, and she expected Raúl to protest in his friendly way, but he just nodded and wheeled Justice around. As they rode back, Maple needed something to distract her from the pain.
“So, do you plan on working for J.B. forever?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I mean, without proper documentation or citizenship, there isn’t much else I can do.”
Below her, Bonnie’s breathing was a little erratic. Maple stroked the horse and slowed them more. It wasn’t hard to remember that she was old, but Maple was surprised Bonnie was struggling after so short a ride. “What would you do if you had citizenship?”
His laugh cut through the quickly descending night. “Probably ranch, Belleza. But I’d want to own my own, you know? I like this life, but I have no way to move up and out. It’s J.B. or Mexico, and I don’t know anyone there. When my parents died, they took our family connections with them.”
While he said it in a lighthearted way, it still hurt Maple. She hated that he was tied to Deyton Ranch. It was a good place to work, of course. The meals were regular and filling, the accommodations comfortable. But she shouldn’t have worried about the women in the stable; they weren’t the captives.
Raúl and Mariela were. Trapped here, shackled by forces they couldn’t have altered if they’d tried.
Not knowing what to say, she opted for a simple “I’m sorry.”
Raúl hopped off Justice and ran inside to turn on the lights to the stable. “I’ll get him ready,” he offered, leading the horse to his stall. She got the impression he didn’t want to talk about it anymore.
As she swung down and off Bonnie, she felt the horse falter a bit. Gripping the reins and placing a steadying hand on her flank, Maple bit her lip.
“Are you okay, girl? Feeling a little under the weather? Let’s go get some carrots.” Leading slowly, she guided the horse into the stall. Bonnie’s flank clipped the door on her way in, causing Maple to gasp. The distress of Bonnie’s stumble erased any attention Maple had been paying to her own pain.
“Everything all right?” Raúl came in behind.
Maple started brushing her down. “No, I think maybe she’s sick. Will you grab some carrots?”
She worked carefully, pouring as much love as she could into caring for the horse. Raúl came back and offered a carrot while Maple grabbed a clean blanket to ward off the chill of the night. When there was nothing left to do for Bonnie, Maple kissed her nose and walked out.
It was then that the radiating heat from her ass demanded attention. Raúl sucked in his breath.
“What the hell is wrong with your ass?”
She whipped to look at him, eyes large. “Excuse me?”
“Your ass and thighs, Maple. They’re bleeding.”
Awkwardly kicking a leg back and straining to look over a shoulder, Maple saw that he was right. Riding must have opened some of the welts. Now thin trails of blood crisscrossed her jeans. “It’s fine. I just need a shower.” Her cheeks burned and she tried to walk away.
Raúl caught her wrist
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