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Nan’s small grin split into a wide smile. “No shit? You two are wasting no time making up for lost time.” Connor’s resistance to change their relationship from friends to lovers had driven everyone crazy.
Tamara swung up into the saddle, lifting a slim brow as Nan followed suit and settled on top of Lady. “We’re coming up on our first anniversary already, remember?”
“Is that your not-so-subtle way of reminding me how long I stayed away?”
“Yes. We can talk about that or your sudden dizzy spell last night.” Nudging Galahad into a slow walk, she glanced over as Nan steered Lady alongside her. “Or why you look so wiped out today, as if you haven’t slept.”
Nan lightly poked Lady’s sides with her heels, prodding her into a trot as they reached the field. “Or,” she tossed over her shoulder, “we can just enjoy the afternoon in silence.”
The faster gait whipped her hair around her face, snapping the dark brown strands against her neck and cheeks. She’d always kept her hair short, liking the extra burn against her scalp that came from a Dom needing a firmer grip to hold on that wasn’t necessary with longer hair. That small pleasure was just another thing Gerard had stolen from her when he dragged her across the cement floor by her short hair, drawing blood as he pulled it out by the roots. With a shudder of queasy remembrance, she leaned over Lady’s neck and kicked her into a ground-covering run.
The sun beat down on her back, the warmth pushing back the ever-present cold as they raced across the field. She laughed as Tamara pulled ahead of her with a taunting grin, the little mare no match for her friend’s stallion. But Nan didn’t care. It was enough to bask in the freedom of traversing the wide-open range dotted with grazing cattle, the prairie grasses brightened with a smattering of pink bitterroot and yellow coneflow
er summer blossoms. By the time they reached the fence line separating the Barton ranch from the Dunbar’s, they were laughing with the exuberance of silly teens, their chests heaving from the physical effort it had taken to keep their seats during such a rigorous ride.
“No fair,” Nan panted, pulling up on the reins to slow Lady down as they approached Tamara at the fence. “If you’d paired me with a horse comparable in size and stamina, I would have had a shot at beating you.”
Tamara shrugged and leaned down to pat Galahad’s neck. “He doesn’t like being far away from his girl, so suck it up.” The rapid pounding of clomping hooves drew both their gazes over the fence at the approaching riders and Tamara’s smile stretched even wider.
“Shit, girlfriend,” Nan drawled with a shake of her head, “can’t he let you out of his sight for more than an hour?”
“Nope, and I love it.” Tamara laughed as Nan rolled her eyes. “Someday you’ll see why.”
“Why what?” Connor asked, pulling to a stop and tipping his hat back to level a hot, blue-eyed look on his wife.
Dan rode up beside him as Tamara replied, “Why I like being your girl.”
Connor grinned. “This commitment stuff does come with some perks, doesn’t it, sweetie?”
Nan glanced at Dan, the sudden tenseness that gripped her when she’d seen him riding up easing as he winked and the corner of his mouth kicked up in a wry grin. “Not as many as staying footloose and fancy free, right, Nan?”
“That’s always been my intention.”
The last crumbs of the sleepless night and tiring day fell away as he greeted her with the usual congeniality the two of them had always reverted to when not at the club. After he’d shown his displeasure over her months of silence and his suspicion of her odd behavior last night, she wondered how he’d react when he saw her again. She knew her friends questioned how she could maintain a casual friendship with a man she regularly submitted her sexual needs to but switching back and forth between the roles of Dom/sub and good friends had always been easy for the two of them.
That didn’t keep Nan from admiring how his lean, muscled body looked astride his large, gorgeous Appaloosa or responding to the noticeable tightening of his thighs gripping the animal’s heaving sides and the dark slash of his gaze from under the sexy brim of his lowered Stetson. Her girly parts certainly sat up and took notice, the pucker of her nipples accompanying the quick spasm clutching her pussy. That welcome response offered her hope the lapse into the past she suffered last night wouldn’t return the next time. To play it safe, though, maybe she should take up with another Dom, one who didn’t know her as well, or who wasn’t as astute as her friend and occasional Master.
“Have you finished your rounds?” Tamara asked.
“Yep, and Sydney instructed us to fetch you for dinner. She made a lasagna big enough to feed an army and Caden said if we don’t get our asses over there soon, he wouldn’t wait any longer to dive into the homemade Italian bread he’s had to smell all afternoon.” Connor turned his horse, saying over his shoulder, “You, too, Nan.”
Dan gave her a direct, pointed look as he reached down to unlatch the gate. “No use arguing. I know Tamara can clear the fence, but you’d better play it safe with our expectant momma and come through this way.”
Nan steered Lady through the gate, wondering at the way Dan switched to his stern Dom voice when he’d said not to argue. Was he just assuring she would join them, or sending her another message she was missing? Yeah, she definitely needed to return to the club and find another partner to aid her in getting back into the swing of things. Ignoring the twinge in her chest at that decision, she followed them to Caden and Sydney’s place.
Dan didn’t care for the wan, strained fatigue tightening Nan’s face, or the suspicious worry that still lingered today over her odd behavior last night. Outwardly, she acted with the same flirty friendliness he enjoyed as much as her sexual submissiveness. But another sudden uncharacteristic urge to go all Dom on her even though they weren’t at the club, returned even stronger than at the diner. As they rode toward Caden’s sprawling ranch house, all he could think about was hauling her off that mare and demanding answers to the building perplexities surrounding her long, unexplained absence and the changes in her behavior.
“God, I think I can smell that bread out here,” Nan groaned as she dismounted at the barn and tethered Lady to the rail.
“Let’s hope there’s some left.” Connor snatched Tamara’s hand as soon as she secured Galahad. “Come on. I’m starving.”
Dan slung his arm around Nan’s shoulders, a casual gesture he’d done a thousand times over the last few years. But, instead of leaning against him with the natural ease he was used to, she walked alongside him with a wary stiffness that cut him to the quick. Frowning, he nudged his hat back and gazed down at her as they crossed the wide green lawn separating the house from the barns.
“I do something to piss you off, hon?” he asked bluntly.
“What?” Her startled eyes swung up and then away before he could read anything behind the look. “No, of course not. It’s just been more tiring getting my shop back open, and the apartment aired out than I expected. I’m worn out.”
“Maybe you’re trying to do too much too fast.” And maybe there’s something you’re not telling anyone. He didn’t like that possibility. “You never could take things slow.” Testing her, he tightened his arm and added, “Except when you’re naked and restrained. You always like things to go slow then.”
