Studs, page 5
“Just wondering, Boss. I don’t mean nothing by it.”
“I hired him to…” Come one, Travis. You’ve got to know why you hired the man.
“You hired him to…to what?”
“He’s a groomer.” Yet even as the words left his mouth, Travis knew that wasn’t the reason he’d hired Justin. No, he’d hired him because of one reason and one reason only. Because he’d felt he’d had no other choice. Because he knew Justin was supposed to come with him. He’d hired the old guy out of a gut-deep feeling he couldn’t shake.
“Oh, a groomer. But we’ve already got plenty of groomers.”
Annoyed with himself more than with Carl, Travis took out his frustration on the other man. “Who’s the boss here, Carl? Me or you?”
Surprised flickered on Carl’s face as he stepped away from Travis. “You are.”
“So if I think we need another groomer, then we need another groomer. Got it?”
“Yeah, Boss. Got it.” With a quick tip of his baseball cap, Carl pivoted and briskly walked away.
Damn. He shouldn’t have gotten short with Carl. After all, Carl was right. We don’t need any more groomers. Travis turned to the truck to see Justin wave at him. But he refused to wave back and crossed his arms in defiance. “Well, shoot. I’ve already hired the man and I’m not going back on my word now. I’ll find something for him to do even if it’s shoveling manure out of the stalls.” Without another look at his “mistake” waiting in the truck, Travis stalked toward the corral.
****
Rici scooted over to the side of the vehicle and squatted below the window. When he was certain no one could see him, he lifted up on his toes and slapped his hand on the glass. “Charissa!”
Charissa, still in the guise of the elderly human, jumped and let out a yelp. “Rici, are you trying to scare me to death? I may be young in my true form, but I’m not so sure this body’s heart wouldn’t collapse in fright.”
He had to strain to hear her, which meant she probably couldn’t hear him very well, either. Still, he wasn’t about to attract attention by speaking louder than he had to. “Are you insane? Come out of there this minute!”
Charissa crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue. “Make me.”
By the Elders how he hated it when she got like this! “Charissa, you come out of that thing. As your brother and eldest male of the household, I am ordering you to open the door and step outside.”
Okay, he hadn’t really expected her to comply, but her wild laughter was a bit much to take. “Sister, you will listen to me.”
The laughter stopped as if she’d slammed a trap door closed. “Are you serious? Do you think any Matlantian woman goes along with all that outdated garbage about male superiority? Least of all, me?” She shook her head emphatically. “I’m going home with the man I love.”
Now it was his turn to laugh. Still, he couldn’t find it in himself to do so. “By all that’s sacred, how would you know what real love is? The only time you’ve ever experienced the Love emotion was when you pushed it into some barbaric human.” Her eyes met his then and he could see something new, something different in them. Something that frightened him.
“No, you’re wrong, Rici. I’ve known the Love emotion. And the Hate one, and the Lust one and all the others. We all have. Even you.”
Rici couldn’t meet her eyes, but that didn’t mean he’d give up the argument. “As Matlantians we keep our emotions restrained. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Like we did when we pushed them into the humans?”
“That’s different. That was our way of releasing some of the turmoil inside our bodies. Quit trying to be difficult.” He dared to glance up at her and saw her sigh as her bony shoulders slumped.
“We aren’t allowed to talk about them, to admit their existence. But that doesn’t mean we never felt them.”
He stared at her in horror, not only from the sacrilege of her words, but because one of those wet drops he’d seen before began to streak down from her eyes. “They’re not good for us, Charissa. I realize the truth of those words now. We’re Matlantians and above all that emotional business.” Had he been wrong all this time? Hadn’t the Elders tried to tell them? “Stop your emotions, Charissa. You have to keep them buried and in control. I don’t know why, but since we gained our freedom, you’ve—okay, we’ve—experienced emotions as never before.”
“We had emotions before that, Rici. Now we’re getting to know them better. I, for one, am not going to hold them in check any longer. I want to know them, to feel them, to live them.”
“But to think you love this man, this human, is ridiculous.” If he had to have an emotion, let it be Anger. “All the times we’ve toyed with the Emotions are coming back to haunt us. They’re breaking free. We played with fire and now we’re getting burned.” Grabbing the metal handle, he pulled and opened the door. Charissa let out a small shout and tried to shut the door, but he held it open enough to make conversation easier. And, hopefully, to get her out.
“No, loving him is not ridiculous. And if this is getting burned then I say, ‘Burn, baby, burn.’ Let go of the door, Rici.”
How could he make his sister understand? Especially when he didn’t understand it? Had the emotions she’d kept locked inside her erupted after their lengthy captivity? Was this the Emotional Overload he’d heard Matlantians discuss in hushed tones? The dreaded disease when a Matlantian lost control and went insane?
“Sister, dear, please try to think rationally about this. Even if Travis weren’t human, he’s still not a suitable mate for you. He has no powers. Or status. Shat, he’s not even a lower class Matlantian.”
“I don’t care what he is.”
She sobbed then, sending pure terror through him. He had to stop her. Her emotional releases might start to affect him. If they hadn’t already. Was Emotional Overload contagious?
He paused, regrouped by forcing himself to shove down the Fear emotion along with the Anger one. “Very well, Charissa. If you must do this awful thing, then you must also bear the consequences, too. In fact, I can’t believe the Elders haven’t swooped down to capture you all ready. But when they do, know this. You suffer your fate alone. I’ll have no part in the abuse you’re planning on afflicting on this poor human.”
“Abuse?” The water streaming from her eyes dried up as she locked onto him. “What are you talking about? Me abuse Travis?”
Now he had her. And he’d fight not to lose her. With an imperious lift of one eyebrow, he answered, “Yes. Don’t you understand how much you could hurt him?”
“Travis?” Her dark eyes, glistening from the moisture still there, narrowed. “That’s ridiculous. I’m not harming Travis. I care for him. How could I hurt Travis?”
“To allow your own emotions to flow freely, you place him in harm’s way. Remember? Humans experience our emotions at a much higher level of intensity than we do. He can’t possibly handle the Love emotion as well as you can. Which, right now, isn’t very well.” Leaning against the vehicle, he put on a practiced bored expression and added, “And if you’re like this, can you imagine how much your love, Travis, will experience the emotion?”
The strange glint in her eye weakened into something different; something softer. Concern? “Do you really think so, Rici?”
“I do. I know he won’t handle it well emotionally. Shat, I’m not even sure he could handle the shock to his physical system.” The last part was a bit much, but he was desperate to get his sister away from the human. His sister belonged with him and not some human she’d just met.
Charissa renewed her hold on the door as she leaned toward him. “A shock to his body?”
Doaga! I knew I shouldn’t have added the part about shocking his system. I always take my lies just one step too far. “Uh, I think I heard about it happening one time.”
“When? And with which Matlantian? Why did I not hear of this?”
She was definitely on to him. Shat! “Oh, it happened a long time ago. One of my friends—the one you don’t like—told me about it happening. The human female fell over and died right on the spot.”
“Is this true?” Charissa sat up straighter and twisted her mouth into a grimace.
Rici groaned inwardly. He knew what her odd twist of the mouth meant. It meant she knew a lie when she heard one. At least his lie.
“Don’t you believe me, dear sister?”
Catching him off guard, she slammed the door closed. He pulled on it with all his strength but this time she held it shut with a quick nod of her head. “You’re lying, Rici. Now go away before someone sees you. We’ve risked this long enough.”
The Anger emotion flew out of control before he had a chance to keep it down. “Charissa, doaga it all. I’ve had enough of this silliness. You’re coming home with me!”
“Take it easy, boy. We’re taking you to your new home. Hang on to him, Scott, or he’ll take off.”
Charissa sneered at Rici before whipping her head around to check the noise coming from the other side of the vehicle. Travis, along with another man, had ropes on the black horse and were trying to coax him along to the trailer. With a wicked grin, Charissa scooted to the other side and flung open the door. She was out and striding toward Travis before Rici could think of any way to stop her.
“Travis, let me help.”
Rici watched her as she approached the men. Even as an old male, she sashayed her hips provocatively. The other man saw the feminine walk and moved to place the horse between him and Charissa.
Travis pulled up short as a frown slid across his forehead. “Justin. No, no, that’s okay. We’ve got him.”
“But I can do it better, um, easier.” Before he could refuse her, Charissa whistled a low, soft sound.
The horse stopped his nervous prance and lifted his head to nicker. Without another word, Charissa took the rope from Travis, caressed the horse on the neck, and turned to lead him to the trailer.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. That old guy’s sure got a way with animals. Even if he does walk funny.”
Rici watched as Travis kept his eyes on Charissa while answering the other man’s comment. “Yeah. Yeah, he does. Which is why I hired him.”
As Charissa grew closer to the trailer with the horse, Rici ducked out of sight behind the vehicle. What could he do now? Charissa had Travis wrapped around her finger. He chewed on this bottom lip and tried to think. Should he expose her? No. He wasn’t sure how these humans would react to finding out about them or their ability to change their appearance.
He could hear Charissa talking to the horse. Within seconds, she had the horse loaded and ready to go. Bracing his hands against the trailer, Rici bent down as low as he could to hide. What could he do? He couldn’t let Charissa go with this man, this human.
Hearing the appreciative and wondering murmurs of the men, Rici decided he had only one course of action. He had to go along with Charissa to wherever Travis would take her. But he couldn’t go as a servant. He sensed Travis wouldn’t hire another stranger. No, he’d have to play this differently. Sneakier. Glancing around him, he looked for anything that could help him.
Small, beady black eyes leveled with his as the long snout of the small creature wiggled and sniffed Rici. The animal, less than five inches long and three inches high, balanced its plump body on a long, hairless tail and sat up as if defying Rici to harm it.
With a quick flick of his finger, Rici morphed, letting his body shrink and reduce his form. As he shortened to a fraction of his true height, he jumped through a crack in the trailer and into a small compartment filled with various items. Continuing to grow even smaller, he leaned against a large—comparatively speaking, of course—brush. Smelly rags lay folded next to the brush along with some other things Rici couldn’t identify.
At last, he reached his intended two inches in height. Flicking his hand again, his body changed again. But instead of getting smaller, his form shifted and grew darker, into a light brown while smooth fur replaced flesh. Within a second, Rici’s transformation into a mouse was complete and he twitched his whiskers with a satisfied glee.
Chapter Three
Charissa watched Travis more than listened to him as he steered the transportation device—the pickup truck—down the highways, then onto narrow roads that gave only one side of the road to each direction of traffic. She studied the way the muscles in his arms worked as he gripped the leather-covered circle that maneuvered the vehicle. She wished for another chance to examine the way his jaw shifted as he half-spoke, half-growled when another driver cut in front of them. And, as the sunlight danced through the glass, she committed to memory the shades of light and dark in his hair.
He’s brilliant. The best-looking human male I’ve ever seen. As if he’d heard her thoughts, he glanced her direction and then back at the road. If his body wasn’t enough of a recommendation, it was obvious he was a leader among his kind. The others had listened to his words as if they thirsted after his commandments and hungered for his approval.
Charissa smiled. She wouldn’t mind thirsting after him. And she definitely hungered for him. Every last, gorgeous, rock-hard, sexually-appealing inch of him.
At last, he slowed the truck, pulled off of the road onto a gravel area, and came to rest before a large gate with the words, “Tall Oaks” spelled out in intertwining iron rods. Travis hopped out his side of the truck and sauntered over to the gate. Lifting the latch, he swung both sides of the gate inward, hopping over a rectangular metal grill in the ground that spanned the width of the entrance. Keeping his back to her, he looked out over the green grass beyond the road.
“Now there’s a man who knows where he belongs.”
Travis twisted his head around at her words. “You say something?”
She shook her head and pretended ignorance. “Nope. Not me. Is this it?”
An expression of joy slid across his face as he nodded. “Yep. This is my ranch, Tall Oaks. All twenty-one hundred acres of her.”
Her? Charissa frowned at him and wondered why he’d referred to land as if it were a living, breathing woman. A living, breathing woman he loved.
He took another glance at the land around him, started toward the truck, and then paused at the rectangular grill. Squatting down, he jerked on one of the metal rods. “This cattle guard’s going to need replacing soon.”
Charissa inhaled in a slow draw as Travis slid back onto his seat. Just as she’d thought. He smelled of the outdoors, wind, and sunshine. But most of all, he smelled of good, strong, “take me here, take me now” MAN. Neither of them spoke as Travis continued down the gravel road, pointing out different areas of the ranch. Various shelters spotted the many acres as well as horses of various sizes, shapes and colors. But he could’ve saved himself the trouble of explaining everything they saw. Her attention was on him; not on his tour.
Charissa stayed right behind Travis as he headed down the large alleyway in one of the large metal buildings called a “barn.” Pens called “stalls” with wide wooden gates ran the length of both sides of the building with horses occupying all them. Several men worked in the stalls, while others tended to the animals. Although a light dust, along with a myriad of strange odors, filled the air around them Charissa marveled at the cleanliness of the area. Didn’t these animals ever make a mess? As far as she could tell, these horses enjoyed a nicer, cleaner life than the humans she used to play with.
“Justin, why don’t you take the day to walk around Tall Oaks and get acquainted with the layout and the other hands?”
Leave to look at horses, sweaty humans—hands?—and horse poop when she could follow Travis around and study his tight butt? Not a chance. She answered as she stayed two steps behind him, her gaze firmly locked on his jean-clad bottom. “Uh, I figured I’d get to know the ranch in due time. Right now, I’m wanting to know you better.”
Charissa bumped into Travis as he suddenly stopped and whirled to face her. She grinned as the collision put her chest to chest with the sexy man. But Travis didn’t grin in return.
“What’d you say?”
She knew he’d heard her correctly and she recognized her mistake. Still, her mistake wasn’t all bad since it had landed her closer to Travis. She let her grin drop, but couldn’t bring herself to break their contact. “I’m sorry?”
Travis glared at her and stepped backwards, severing both their connection and her enjoyment. “Did you say you want to get to know me better?” A few snickers from the men nearest them had Travis turning to glare at them.
“Oh, uh, yes.”
Travis returned his scrutiny to her and continued to scowl. “Yeah?”
She’d better watch herself or “Justin” might get dismissed. “You know how it is. We older, um, cowboys like to know the man we’re working for.” She wondered if she’d ever understand the new term, “cowboy.” From Travis’ usage, the words “cowboy” and “hand” were interchangeable. She glanced at her hand and frowned. Even if she didn’t know what a “cow” was, she knew these men were long past being called “boys.” But how could men be hands?
The glower hovered on Travis’ face a moment longer before it finally slipped away. “I see. Still, I think you’d best—”
“Find out what you’re planning on doing with Adonis?” Charissa interrupted Travis and considered pushing him with an Acceptance emotion. She couldn’t have him sending her off. Besides, from what she’d seen of the work these “hands” did, she didn’t want any part of any of the “chores.”
“Nooo.” Travis drew out the word as if doing so would give him more time to think. “That’s not what I was going to say.” Travis shot her yet another curious look. “Strange. But I don’t remember you ever telling me your last name. You did tell me, right?”
“Sure I did.” No, I didn’t. “You just don’t remember.” Charissa tried to analyze the unfamiliar emotion creeping into her. Was it Anger? Or Pain? This emotion was new to her and not a pleasant one.
“Well? Refresh my memory.” Travis lifted his hand to run his hand through his rumpled locks.
