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Chapter 1
The Ranch was everything Rueben had been told it would be. Trees that would be lush and green in the summer lined the long driveway and pastures that had a few horses roaming could be seen from the inside of their cruiser.
He spared a glance to the passenger seat where his partner sat up a little straighter as the large gates of Rawhide Ranch came into view.
Once again Rueben tried to come up with a way to handle his current situation. Their CO had called them into his office and told them they were to go to the Ranch on a wellness check. Apparently, some idiot had phoned in a request because they believed their family member had been indoctrinated into a cult.
Rueben knew this wasn’t true. But the only reason he did was because he knew what Rawhide Ranch really was.
The most amazing, inclusive lifestyle resort he’d ever heard of. It was one of the main reasons he’d opted for the transfer to the precinct where he now worked.
Even though he knew what Rawhide Ranch really was, unfortunately, Rueben had yet to make some real friends in the area, so he was not aware if the real purpose of the resort was well known. And as such, he couldn’t risk outing it to his commanding officer or his new partner.
The new partner he’d silently been crushing on since he fumbled over their first meeting.
Alisha Warren was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman. Soft, sweet and deliciously submissive. She hid it well behind the uniform, but Rueben could see it. It also didn’t hurt that she was built like a queen made to be worshiped.
Rueben pulled up to the guard house and a security guy stepped up to Alisha’s window.
“Officer,” the tall man tipped his head down at them.
“Morning,” Alisha responded. “I believe the owner, Mr. Hawkins, is expecting us.”
This was news to Rueben. He was not aware of any arrangement made. What was the point of a wellness check if the occupants of the dwelling knew you were coming?
“Yes, ma’am. Just drive on straight up to the main lodge. Someone will meet you there to take you to the office.”
Alisha smiled at the guard, and Rueben was instantly jealous at the unguarded expression this stranger had earned so easily. He’d been partnered with her for a couple of months now, and he could barely get her to give him anything more than a polite smile.
“Have you been here before?” Rueben decided to test the waters.
Alisha reacted in a way he would never have predicted. Her large blue eyes looked at him, and the fear in her gaze was so stark it was almost palpable.
“Why would I have been here before?”
He evaluated her expression and her non-answer, trying to put two and two together.
Somehow it wasn’t adding up to four for him. Not quite yet anyway.
“No reason, you’ve been living here pretty much most of your life so I was just wondering.”
“No.” Her terse response filled the car before she took a deep breath and looked back at him again. “I’ve heard of it. I’ve looked into it, but no. I haven’t had the opportunity to come here before.”
Oh... well, that was a telling statement. Rueben realized it couldn’t have been easy for her to tell him that, because if she knew what it was, then she had to know she’d just revealed that she’d at least been curious about coming to a fully immersive lifestyle ranch.
At least it cleared up a few things for him.
She was definitely a submissive. She knew what Rawhide really was. And she had to know that this check-in was a waste of time, because Rawhide Ranch was the furthest thing from a cult Rueben could ever imagine. Of course there were idiots out there who would see it from the outside and think that. But those idiots would be closed-minded bigots who couldn’t understand that not everyone liked to fit themselves into the cookie cutter lives most of the population would prefer.
More likely, the person who had called in for the wellness check had a family member who needed an escape from them.
Rueben decided to reward Alisha’s bravery with a confession of his own.
“I’ve always wanted to come here. That’s why I applied for the transfer.”
Those big blue eyes looked up at him again, slowly blinking. “Oh.”
“Yeah, oh.” Rueben sent a tentative smile in Alisha’s direction and she actually blushed before responding with her own small grin. Rueben’s chest filled with pride at the small victory. “Let’s go in, meet the famous Mr. Hawkins, get this farce over with and then maybe we can beg him for a tour?”
