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  Black thought about the kind of business Kate was referring to and decided it was better than going to bed alone with a hardon.

  She pulled off his boots while he took off his gun belt and slid his pants and long johns down around his ankles. She did the rest of the work for him. Once he was completely naked, she pushed him down on the bed and told him to spread his legs for her.

  He felt like a damn fool lying spread-eagled on the bed with his cock sticking up like the lodge poles he'd seen in the Indian villages he'd visited over the years. He'd found that a little kindness in those villages got him many young women who were more than willing to share his bed for the night.

  To his amazement, Kate crawled up onto the bed with him and took his cock in her mouth. In all of his life, he'd never had a woman do something like this to him. While she sucked him, she played with his balls until he could contain himself no longer. With a force unlike any he'd experienced in a long time, he came into her mouth. To his surprise, she swallowed his cum and teased him until he was again erect.

  "Did you like that?” she asked, licking her lips as though she was afraid she'd lose even one drop of his cum.

  "Like it? Hell yes, I liked it. It's a shame you can't bottle that sensation and sell it in one of those medicine shows. I bet you could make a million dollars in less than a year. Where did you learn to do something like that?"

  "Salina said that when she moved on from your ma's ranch, the next place she worked told her it was mandatory. At first she didn't like it, but once she learned how to do it correctly, she found it to be very stimulating, both for her and her partner. She taught me how to do it when I first arrived at her place. If you enjoyed this, wait until the next time we're together and I suck your balls. Of course, for that, you will have to pay. Now that you're satisfied, I need you to do the same for me."

  She lay down beside him and pulled him on top of her. After what he'd just been through he wondered if he would be able to perform, but once he slipped his cock into her cunt, he knew there would be no problems in that department. While he pumped against her, he grabbed her breasts and manipulated her nipples into hard pebbles. She moaned in pleasure, and he knew he was the one responsible for it. Whores had a way of moaning even if they weren't feeling anything, but it wasn't anything like this.

  He'd just leaned over to take one of her nipples into his mouth when she slapped him squarely on the ass. He jerked his head up and looked at her. To his surprise, that slap had made him even harder inside her.

  "What did you just do to me?"

  "I gave you a spanking, you naughty boy. As a little kid it hurts like hell, but as a man it only heightens the pleasure. All of this is only a prelude of what's to come if you want me in your bed again."

  "What happens if I spank you?"

  "Maybe someday we'll find out. For now, this works for me."

  The more she spanked him, the harder he pumped against her until they finally both came at almost the same time.

  He rolled off of her and pulled her into an embrace. He'd learned a long time ago that women, even whores, liked to be cuddled after being fucked.

  "You were good, Black, really good,” Kate said. “You'll be even better once you get that damn fool notion out of your head that it's Belle you want in this bed. There are four of us here, and we all like our men in different ways. Little Cara takes it any way a man wants to give it to her, but if she had her choice, she'd be tied up to the bedposts and fucked until dawn. Lacy has a cute little whip. She uses it on the men and lets them use it on her. She says it's more fun than regular sex. That brings us to Janna. She's into feathers and the like. What that girl can do with a feather is downright indecent. Of course, they all do it the way the customer requests, but every once in a while, the guy says that they can do what they want. It's then that they make the big money. I heard tell one man paid Lacy twenty dollars just because she used that little whip of hers. As for me, my specialty is sucking a man's cock and balls ‘til he cries for mercy. I never make less than ten dollars a night, since the men appreciate what I can do for them."

  "I can see why. I certainly did."

  "You'll get to enjoy each of us and believe me, you'll get your buck-fifty worth, especially if you let the girls do what they do best."

  "I don't know about the whipping part. Is it anything like that spanking you gave me?"

  "They say it's more intense. Someday I might try it for myself, but never on a permanent basis. I don't like pain that well. A good spanking is one thing, but a whipping is something else."

  Black kissed her long and hard, then fell asleep with her in his arms.

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  Chapter Two

  Black rolled over and reached for Kate. To his dismay, she'd left his bed. He wondered if it would have been different if he'd been a paying customer. The answer to his question echoed in his mind. Of course it would be different, you damn fool. You'd be in her bed, and not your own.

  He felt around until he found a box of matches. He struck one of them and lit the lamp on the table beside the bed. He reached first for his shirt and then the cigarettes that he knew were in the pocket. He needed a smoke. Usually after he bedded a whore, he liked to smoke a cigarette, but last night had been different. Holding her in his arms and enjoying the softness of her body next to his had overruled the need.

  After taking a long drag on the cigarette, he reached for his pants so he could find the pocket watch he always carried. It was the only thing he had left that had belonged to his father. From his mother, he had his memories, but he'd been too young when his father died for any of those.

  He opened the face of the watch and once his eyes focused, noticed it was five in the morning. Since breakfast was served at six, he'd have plenty of time to wash the sex from his cock and put on fresh clothes. His others were covered in trail dust and smelled to high heaven. When he finished work tonight, he'd take them down to the creek and get them clean.

  With his sponge bath and shave finished, he pulled on his clothes and boots before heading downstairs. The smell of bacon and eggs made him realize that last night's activities had given him a good appetite.

  He was surprised to see an older woman in the kitchen cooking, and all of the girls wearing dresses and looking fresh as daisies. “Morning, ladies,” he said, entering the room.

  "Good morning, Black,” Belle greeted him. “Girls, this is Black Conley. I hired him on last night. If everything I've heard about him is true, he can use those guns he's wearing and he knows how to work a ranch. He'll be riding with you this morning, Kate. You can show him around, especially up where we've been losing all the cattle."

  A petite brunette stepped forward. “I'm Janna,” she said, extending her hand. “I can hardly wait to get to know you better. Kate told us about last night. It should make quiet nights around here quite enjoyable."

  She stepped aside, and a saucy redhead stepped forward. “I'm Cara, and this is Lacy,” she said, introducing a pretty blonde. “We're all looking forward to getting to know you better."

  From what Kate told him last night, things could get really interesting. He could see Janna with her feathers, Lacy with her whip and Cara tied to the bedposts, all of them ready and willing to do whatever he wanted. After last night with Kate, he was getting hard just thinking about it.

  He exchanged pleasantries with each of the girls. Outside, he saw the stagecoach he'd seen earlier. It was evident that this was a regular stop for the stage line. If that were so, the reason he hadn't heard anything from the upstairs rooms could be that the girls were occupied elsewhere with the gentlemen from the stage. “So where are your overnight guests?” he asked Belle.

  "They'll be down soon,” Belle assured him. “They each have their own rooms in another section of the house. After the girls are finished with them for the night, they enjoy a good night's sleep without having to worry about waking up their companion. They all know that the girls have to be up and ready
to ride at the crack of dawn. Now, if you'll tell Annie how you like your eggs, she'll fix them for you."

  Black had just finished explaining that to the cook when the passengers from the stage came down for breakfast. Most of them were fancy Dans from the East, heading for God only knew where. I certainly hope they paid well.

  He laughed at his silent thoughts. Those were the words he'd heard his mother say whenever her girls had gentleman callers. If the men paid well, there would be more money in the ranch accounts. By splitting fifty-fifty with the girls, she made damn good money and so did the girls, especially if you considered their pay, three good meals a day and a roof over their heads.

  "It was a right fine night, Miss Belle,” the driver said. “I hope these gents enjoyed themselves as much as I did. Next time, I'd like to try Miss Kate. I haven't had her in quite a spell. Nothing against the other girls, but I do enjoy variety."

  Janna sashayed up to the driver and allowed him to slide his hand down the front of her dress. “I understand, Jeb. I like variety as well. You just keep bringing all these handsome men here, and we'll all do our best to keep you happy."

  "I trust you've been with all the girls,” another man said with a British accent. “My evening with Miss Cara was far beyond my expectations. It's a shame that I won't be coming this way on my return to London, but my business will take me in the opposite direction."

  As soon as the men arrived, Black saw Kate leave the room. Within minutes, she reappeared, the fancy dress gone, replaced by work britches and shirt.

  While the passengers ate their breakfast, Black and Kate went out to hitch the team to the stage. “Does the stage come through here often?” he asked.

  "About once a week eastbound, and the same westbound. Later today, Belle will take the mail into town and stop at the bank to deposit the money the girls made last night."

  "You let her take care of your finances?"

  "Why not? She's fair about everything. Don't know if I'd trust a man as much as I do her. I just wish she didn't have the problems this ranch gives her."

  "Problems? You mean by not having men to run it?"

  Kate laughed at his statement. “Good heavens, no. Her problems come from Clayte Adamson. That son of a bitch wants this place. He has ever since her pa died ten years ago. Now that he's single again, he's been bird-dogging her with his empty proposals and offers to buy her out. Since she's not interested in either, he's been taking our cattle. I'd like to catch him in the act and unload a shotgun full of buckshot in his fat ass. Maybe that would keep him on his side of the property line."

  Black shook his head. “Can't picture you on the business end of a shotgun. Do you even know how to shoot one?"

  Kate looked absolutely indignant. “Of course I do. In my line of work, a gal needs to know how to protect herself from the scum that think they can beat her ... or even worse. Salina said she never had to learn how to use a gun until she left your ma. The first man who bought her for the night beat her senseless and left her for dead. She decided that would be the last time that a man—any man—would do something like that to her. Once she made her point by threatening one of her gentlemen, she never had to do it again."

  Black laughed heartily. He'd heard about men who liked to beat the whores they bought. Usually, they were upstanding citizens and didn't want it known that they beat women. When that was the case, they didn't dare do anything like that to their wives. He'd run into his share, and always wanted to do to them what they did to the girls they took to the rooms upstairs at the saloons.

  Of course, he never acted on his impulses. It wouldn't do for him to step on the wrong side of the law. No matter how many men he'd killed, there wasn't one of them who hadn't drawn on him first. Every lawman from here to Texas knew that about him. Black Conley was a gunslinger, but he'd never done anything outside the law—and he intended to keep it that way. The story of Black Conley was good enough to give him the perfect cover when he was investigating.

  "Are you just going to stand there watching the dust from the stage?” Kate asked.

  "Guess not. I'd like to get up to the boundary line between the two properties. Maybe I can catch a glimpse of this Adamson."

  "You don't know him. He'll have his men up there, but he keeps his fat ass at the ranch. He doesn't like to get his hands dirty."

  "What about moving the cattle from that area?"

  "We were planning to round them up and bring them closer to the house last week, but Clayte kept us busy in other areas. Now that you're here, I was hoping to start the roundup today. I have to talk to Belle about it first, though."

  "What do you have to talk to me about?” Belle asked, causing both Kate and Black to turn toward the house.

  Black was pleased to see her in the tight-fitting britches and shirt. They certainly accentuated her womanly curves. Behind her, the three other women were similarly clad. He'd seen them at breakfast, but they looked much different without the low-cut dresses that showcased only one of their assets.

  "I'd like to start the roundup today,” Kate replied. “We can't afford to lose any more cattle to Clayte, and if we leave them on that east range any longer, we could lose every steer we have up there."

  "You're right,” Belle agreed. “I was going into town, but if we're going to do the roundup, I think it's best if I stay here. I can put the money in the safe in my office and be ready to join you in just a few minutes."

  "Good,” Kate continued. “I'll get your horse saddled and we'll be ready to ride as soon as you get out here."

  Black hadn't noticed before that the three other girls each wore a gunbelt with a single revolver positioned over her right hip. Under the circumstances, he was surprised to see that neither Belle nor Kate wore one.

  "The others have gunbelts, why not you and Belle?” he asked once Belle returned to the house.

  "I'm more comfortable with a rifle, but I do wear a gun. I don't like keeping it in the house, so I have it in the barn. As for Belle, she'll have her guns on by the time she joins us. If you recall, she was planning to go into town. That said, she wasn't wearing them, since the people in town don't quite understand what it is we do out here. For her to wear a gun to town would be like raising a red flag in front of a mad bull. They'd have her locked up quicker than scat."

  "Locked up? Why?"

  "Because according to the town fathers, good girls don't carry guns, so they passed a law against it back about eight years ago. Up until then, Belle didn't go into town without them. I think it was Clayte's doing. If Belle were locked up, he'd find a way to get this spread away from her. That is his plan, you know."

  Black thought about what Kate said while he saddled his horse. It made sense, especially if this Adamson feller wanted this ranch so damn bad. He'd heard of men, especially Mike Slade, killing for less. It was a wonder that Belle was still alive.

  By the time Belle arrived, they were all mounted and Kate had put her rifle in the boot of her saddle. Each girl rode a horse that seemed to fit her personality. Kate rode a chestnut mare, Janna a brown and white paint gelding, Lacy a palomino mare, Cara a sorrel gelding, and Belle a white stallion who matched her silver-blonde hair. He wondered if she ever used him for stud, then noticed the horses in the corral. They looked as though he had sired most of them, using the palomino as well as the chestnut for breeders.

  "I'm ready to ride,” Belle said, shoving her rifle in the boot of her saddle.

  The ride to the east range took about half an hour, leaving Black awed by the expanse of the ranch he now called home. Once there, it was evident that someone had been trespassing on the Double Bar B. The barbed-wire fence had been cut, and tracks of several animals led away from the property.

  "That son of a bitch, he's hit us again,” Belle spat. “You five can handle this, I'm going into town. This time that bastard of a sheriff is going to have to listen to me."

  She wheeled her horse and took off at a fast gallop in the direction of the town Black had left the
night before.

  "Let's get to work,” Kate ordered. “We've lost enough cattle to Clayte and his bunch. We can count them and check our losses when we get them to the pasture closer to the house."

  Black made a mental note that he would come back up here tonight and see just who was stealing the cattle. He promised himself he wouldn't do anything he might regret tonight, but he knew he had to get evidence before he went off half-cocked and did something that would push the law to come gunning for him.

  * * * *

  Belle thought about going back to the house to get rid of her guns, but by the time the idea entered her mind, she was halfway to town. She was too mad to turn around now. Besides, this time she had proof. She had five witnesses, including one man, to back her up about the fence being cut.

  Just outside of town, she stopped long enough to take off her guns and stash them in a clump of bushes where she could pick them up later. There was no need to give Joe Calhoun any reason to arrest her today. She purposely left her rifle in the boot of her saddle. As long as she wasn't wearing her guns, she would be safe from the law.

  Town was as quiet as she would have expected it to be so early in the morning. The banker was just opening up for the day and the general store had its door open, so that customers could come inside and the owner could enjoy the last of the fall breezes that would soon turn to winter winds.

  When she entered the sheriff's office she found Joe in his usual position, sitting behind his desk with his feet propped up on the top of it while he read the wanted posters that seemed to be always in front of him. He was so engrossed in the posters, he didn't even look up when she entered the office. Unceremoniously, she shoved his boots off the desk, almost toppling him over in the chair that was precariously balanced on two legs.

  "What the hell do you think you're doing, Belle?” Joe sputtered.