Studs, page 10
Adonis shook his head and Rici got the unsettling impression that the horse wanted to shake him out of his head. Sorry, big guy. We’re stuck together for awhile so get used to it. Besides, I’ve gotten the rotten side of the bargain. Now, how do I get you to act sick? Sick enough to let Charissa think he’d followed her plan, but not too sick. After all, he needed the horse to be in exactly the correct level of pretended illness for his scheme to work.
Charissa’s plan called for Rici to make Adonis act sick enough to leave Travis’ on-staff veterinarian clueless and helpless. Then Travis would have to seek out additional help. That additional help would come in the form of a horse expert by the name of Charissa. However, Rici didn’t want the horse to pull off the ruse too well. Adonis would “get sick,” as Charissa wanted, but Rici would then “push” the vet into thinking he’d found a cure. Once the vet administered the cure, Rici would release control of Adonis and the big animal would return to being a normal, healthy stud.
He could almost hear Charissa yelling at him when her plan fell apart. But could he help it if the human vet had managed to save the day? And if the human vet found the cure, then Travis would never seek outside help in the form of one available, ready-for-love Matlantian sister. With no way into Travis’ life and heart, he’d talk Charissa into going home to Matlantia with him.
Rici wanted to pat himself on the shoulder for coming up with such a brilliant scheme. Too bad he didn’t have any shoulders to pat right now.
“Hey, Boss, Adonis isn’t eating his sugar.”
Rici lifted Adonis’ head to place over the bottom half of the door as Travis strolled up and ran his hand over the bridge of Adonis’ nose. “Hmm. I guess he’s lost his famous sugar tooth.” Travis continued to stroke the horse’s head causing a not-unpleasant-sensation to course through Adonis’ body. Travis kept up the petting even as he started to call out orders to the men. “Never mind the treats. It’s time for Adonis to earn his keep. Billy and Max, get him over to breeding shed. They’re finishing up the cleaning process with Princess Dancer. Let’s do this live cover while she’s in heat.” With one last pat on Adonis’ forehead, Travis turned and strode out of the barn.
Live cover? What the haellus does that mean? Live what? Covering what? Are they talking about putting Adonis with Princess Dancer? Disbelief rushed through Rici along with a surge of equestrian hormones at the mention of the mare’s name. What did they expect him to do with that female attack horse? He’d narrowly survived her earlier amorous advances and didn’t think he could survive any more.
Adonis reared his head up and away, but Billy slid a halter over his head in one swift motion. Think, Rici, think. You can not allow them to take you to her again. He cringed as he remembered the way the mare had jumped the fence, chased him and cornered him, leaving him with no escape. If the ranch hands hadn’t shown up when they had… Well, he just as soon not think about it. No. I can’t have her thrusting her butt at me again. No way! But the hired hands weren’t letting him stay in his stall no matter what how many times he jerked his head, nickered, or threatened to kick them.
Max took the lead rope from Billy and clucked to Adonis. “Come on, boy. You’re gonna have some fun today. It’s time to get to know royalty.” However, his chuckles only made Rici more nervous than before and his nervousness made Adonis prance in an edgy dance. Something the men mistook for horny eagerness. “Take it easy, stud. You’ll get your jollies on soon enough. She ain’t going nowhere. Not after getting all cleaned and washed for you.”
Sunlight blinded Adonis’ vision as the men walked him toward a smaller barn. What is this place? Charissa, as Justin, had never gone into this place. At least not while I was with her. But it looks as if I’m about to find out. Charissa, what have you gotten me into this time?
“Are they ready in the breeding shed?”
Breeding shed? Rici went still, driving Adonis’ hooves into the dirt. What the doaga is a breeding shed? And what do they expect to happen in there? Adonis tugged at the lead rope again trying to yank it from Max’s hands. Oh, shat. With a name that included the word “breeding” it isn’t hard to imagine what’s in store for me in the shed.
But Max wasn’t about to let Adonis stop. He tugged on his halter, offered some choice words that Rici assumed were words of endearments, and led Adonis through the doors toward the group of men at the back of the barn. Travis and the veterinarian watched as two other men finished washing the mare with a hose and sponges. Her enormous rump faced Rici and he had to fight the urge to upchuck. If he never saw the rear end of another horse, it would be too soon.
Relief washed through Adonis. Oh, I’m getting a bath. Thank goodness. I like baths. Even as a horse I bet I’ll like getting a bath.
“Doc, is everything ready?”
Rici studied the balding man coming to stand next to him. He’d seen this man going around the ranch tending to the various horses. Ah, the veterinarian. The animal doctor. But why would they need a doctor to give the horses a bath? Adonis whinnied at the man and pawed the ground.
Settle down, Adonis. It’s just a bath. We’ll play sick right after a nice, leisurely bath.
“Yep.” Doc came up on the other side of Adonis as Travis took the lead from Max. “She’s fine. I couldn’t see any problems resulting from her exhibition of fence jumping earlier. If nothing else, it confirms my exam and lab results. She’s primed and ready.”
As if to verify the doc’s words, Princess Dancer whipped her head around to look at Adonis. Rici, however, didn’t like what he saw.
Was it his imagination or did that mare wink at him? He stared at Princess and decided he’d hallucinated the image. After all, horses couldn’t horses wink? Could they?
His answer came short and swift as Princess closed one eye and quickly opened it again. Oh, shat. She did. That animal just winked at me.
“Let’s get her in the chute.”
Princess put up a slight fuss as the men led her into a very narrow metal pen that didn’t give her any room to turn around. She squealed and swished her tail in protest.
Good. Keep her penned up so she can’t come after me again. Rici blew air out Adonis’ nose in a sigh of relief. As long as she couldn’t get to him, then everything was perfect.
The men, however, didn’t stop with loading her in the pen. Instead, they took her tail and, through means Rici didn’t quite understand, tied her tail above her bottom. Which, of course, left her backend exposed.
Oh, by the Elders! What are they doing to her? A rush of adrenalin mixed with pure lust ripped through Adonis and into Rici’s mind. Caught unprepared for the surge of emotion, Rici momentarily lost control of Adonis’ mind. The stud shook his head, snorting and puffing, pawing at the earth as he tried to get to the mare.
“Well, it’s about time you showed some interest in the little lady.” Travis’ smile broke the worry on his features and he gestured for the men to lead Adonis forward. “Let’s get him on top of her now. Daylight’s burning.”
Together, Max and Billy pulled on Adonis, urging him to move toward the chute. As he grew closer to the entrance, Rici finally came out of shock. Holy shat! They want Adonis—me—Adonis to get on top of her and— Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me! That’s why it’s called a live cover. She’s live, I’m live, and I’m supposed to get on top and cover her while I plunge my—Adonis’—my gigantic dick into her.
Recovering from the blast of equestrian hormones, Rici slammed a stop on the hot and horny thoughts running through the stud’s mind. I am so not going to do what you and these sex-perverted humans want me to do. Not a chance, Adonis.
“What’s the matter with him?” Travis’ smile disappeared as his eyebrows buried themselves between his eyes. “Get him going.”
Max tugged on the lead rope but, this time, couldn’t move Adonis an inch. “He won’t budge, Boss. I don’t know what’s wrong.”
Stomping over to Adonis, Travis grabbed the lead rope from Max and tugged. But still Adonis wouldn’t move.
I don’t care what this man does, I am not going anywhere near that thing with my, er, Adonis’ thing. Rici struggled against a new rush of desire churning in Adonis and, luckily, won.
“Are you freakin’ kidding me? Did I just pay a ton of money for a stud horse who won’t stud?” Travis stopped to glare at Adonis. “Doc, do you have any ideas?”
But the vet could only stand and scratch his head. “Not a one.”
And you won’t have, either. Not if I have any say about this. Rici ground Adonis’ teeth as he wracked his brain for a way out of the situation. If getting sick will get me out of this mess, then Adonis is about to come down with a major illness.
“Great. Just great.” Travis paused trying to get Adonis to move. “I’ve got a stud who won’t mount the mare and vet who doesn’t know what to do about it. What else can go wrong today?”
Rici grinned as the thought hit him. What else can go wrong you ask? Watch this, Travis!
Without warning, Adonis dropped to his front knees. Dropping the lead rope, Travis jumped away from the horse as Adonis continued his fall to the ground.
Rici heard Adonis’ silent scream and tried to reassure the frightened horse. Horses rarely went on their sides, not even to sleep, so it was natural that Adonis was terrified. First an unknown presence takes over his body and then he’s flat on his side when all he really wanted was to be warmly inside Princess Dancer. Understanding the animal, Rici did his best to comfort him. But he wasn’t about to get up and “cover” the mare.
“What the hell?” Travis was by Adonis’ side in an instant. “Doc!”
After yelling to Max to retrieve his equipment from his office inside the breeding barn, the vet squatted down and started checking the stud. Within minutes, Max had arrived and slid a dark brown satchel toward the vet. Doc wasted no time in pulling out a stethoscope to check the stud’s breathing. More instruments followed, interesting devices that Rici enjoyed watching the vet use as he checked off items.
“His vitals are all fine. Blood pressure, heart rate. Everything appears to be normal.”
“Then what’s wrong with him, Doc. A horse doesn’t flop down on his side without something being out of whack.” Travis ran a hand along Adonis’ neck and Rici was certain this man loved the animal.
“I said I don’t know. I’ve never seen any horse go down so fast.”
Travis locked eyes with Adonis and Rici got the strange impression that he wanted to see straight into the horse’s soul for the answer. “Do your best, Doc. Just make him all right.” Travis threw his words over his shoulder, never breaking eye contact with Adonis. “Men, go ahead and take Princess Dancer back to her stall. Nothing’s happening today.”
Thank the Elders! Relief and happiness burst through him as Rici watched the men lead the frustrated mare away. I hope I never see her again!
“I’m going to check his insides. Maybe he’s impacted somehow. I don’t think so, but I don’t know what else to try.” The vet slid a slick-looking glove over his hand and arm and moved to the rear of the horse. “Try to keep him calm.”
Rici let Adonis raise his head and peer toward his bottom. What’s the doc going to do down there? Hey, Doc, come back up here and look in my eyes again. Trust me. You’re not going to find anything except stinky— Oh, doaga! Ow! Is he sticking his hand up my butt?
Rici’s control slipped a bit as Adonis rebelled against the discomfort coming from his rear end. Forget the hand. He’s punched his whole arm inside this poor horse! Urgh! Stop! You’re hurting me.
Rici gawked at the man positioned near his bottom and wrestled with the unusual, unpleasant sensation of a human’s limb inside the animal. Urgh. I don’t know how much longer I can stand of this. In fact— Oh, no. Please don’t. Adonis, control yourself. Yet even as he said the words, Rici knew he fought a losing battle. But at least he wouldn’t lose the battle as much as the vet would. Rici tried one last time to curtail Adonis’ physical urge, to direct his supremacy over the horse’s bodily functions, but couldn’t.
“Oh, shit!”
“Damn it!”
“Not now!”
The men scrambled backwards as Adonis let out a long, deafening fart followed closely by an enormous amount of liquefied horse poop. Loose stool spew out of his rear, covering the vet with smelly excrement in a shower of disgusting manure rain.
Chapter Six
Charissa took in the lively scene before her as she scanned the interior of the large metal building. Noisy music, smoke, flashing lights, and a strange, yet pleasant, musky smell filled every inch of the establishment called The Happy Trails Bar and Dance Hall. According to the hired help of Tall Oaks Ranch, Happy Trails was where most of the town of Twin Creeks sought out fun and socialization. And, according to the men, Happy Trails was Travis’ favorite hangout. Whatever a “hangout” was.
A crack reverberated through the one room establishment causing Charissa to whip her head around seeking out the loud noise. Her gaze followed the sound as other, albeit softer cracks split the air. Two men, cowboys judging by their attire, circled around a table topped with green carpet and several different colored balls with white numbers on them. One man leaned over the table and stabbed at one of the balls with a long stick. The ball, once set in motion, traveled around the table knocking into more balls, some of which disappeared into holes at the sides of the table.
“You shoot pool, little lady?”
Charissa choked on the foul odor surrounding the man who’d sidled up beside her. “Pool?” What pool? And how would one shoot water? She glanced around to make certain she hadn’t missed seeing a pool.
Dressed all in black, the unkempt man leaned closer to her, making breathing even more difficult. He nodded at the green-topped table as he gestured with his mug. “Yeah, pool. You know, the game?”
He means what the men are doing with the sticks, balls and table. “Oh, I see. The name of the game is pool. But why do they call it pool when there’s no water?”
His loud, abrasive laughter startled her as heads turned in their direction. “Hey, that’s funny. So you’re not just pretty, you’re funny, too.”
This time as he leaned closer, Charissa risked losing her hand to the unknown filth corroding his shirt and pushed him back. Pretty? He thinks I’m pretty? What’s the matter with this man? Doesn’t he know beautiful is so much more than pretty? “Well, yes, my brother says I’m very humorous.”
“Why don’t you come on over to the bar and set a spell? I’ll buy you a drink.”
How thirsty would anyone have to be to put up with this walking garbage bag for a simple drink? Charissa placed her best “I’m so superior, you’re not even in the same world as me” smile on her face. “No, thank you. I’m waiting for someone.”
“Yeah? So why not have a drink with me until she shows up?”
He started to slide his arm around her shoulders, but she stopped him with one carefully raised eyebrow. “First of all, eeww. Secondly, I’m waiting on a he, not a she.” With a nod of her head, she “pushed” the man. “Go away.”
His jaw dropped into a slack expression as he bobbed his head up and down in agreement. “Uh, sure. I’ll go away.” Without another word, he spun on his heel and hurried away from her.
“Good boy.”
Charissa continued her way into the middle of the room where many couples danced on the large wooden floor in front of a raised platform. A group of men entertained the crowd playing various instruments. A woman dressed in what Charissa knew to be the typical cowgirl attire stood in front of a metal pole with a cylindrical object attached at the top. As the woman sang, she bent closer to the object that then projected her voice through big black boxes at foot of the platform.
“The band’s pretty good, aren’t they? The last song they played is one of my favorites. Do you have a favorite song? How about I get them to play your favorite song and you and me can dance?”
Charissa sighed and prepared for yet another advance from yet another cowboy. Doing a one-eighty turn, she confronted the young man whose face was covered with red spots and the fuzzy beard of an adolescent. Not wanting to bother with a conversation with this boy, she immediately nodded her head and pushed him the same way she’d pushed her first admirer. He dropped his jaw, gained a lackluster expression and turned on his heel without saying anything more.
As she studied the men around her, she noticed most of them—even those with females—giving her the “I want you in my bed” look. “Time to stop this before it goes any farther. I don’t want too many men around me. Their attention might dissuade Travis from coming to me.” Whirling in a circle, she nodded until it felt like her head might fall off. Once she’d circled the room several times, thus ensuring she’d pushed everyone in the place, she stopped and regained her equilibrium. Smiles surrounded her and she knew she’d been successful in making everyone in the room like her—but not too much.
Satisfied with the friendly faces she saw, she strolled through the bar to check out the ruckus on the opposite of the room. Bales of hay encircled an area containing a padded cushion and a cowhide-covered machine. A bull’s head, complete with blunted horns, was stuck on the front of the machine making the whole device resemble the front half of a bull. A saddle, resting on a blue blanket, was strapped to the top of the machine while another strap offered a grip hold for the rider. Men stood on the outside of the hay, laughing and talking, their attention caught on the young girl sitting on top of the machine.
What would the woman do? And why were the men so entranced by her? She was pretty, but no prettier than any of the other women in the bar. And certainly not half as beautiful as her. Charissa inched her way in between two of the spectators.
“Go on, Sally. Show us what you’ve got.”
The blonde, long-legged girl thrust out her ample chest and tossed her hair over her shoulders. “Trust me, boys, I’ve got more than you can handle.”
