Page 241 of Wild Mustang Security Firm

“Do tell!” Zara laughed. “Well, watch out; he and Noah are friends and Noah isn’t far removed from a Neanderthal. But he’ssmart, funny, crazy good in bed, and he loves me. With any luck, my friend, Thom will be just like him.”

Chapter

Seven

Avery flew them straight down the Colorado River headed for the site that Zara and Finn had chosen for their wedding, the famed Phantom Ranch on the floor of the Grand Canyon. It would be an intimate, all-day event with Willa and her team supplying the food.

“There they are!” called Zara, pointing to the three women, mounted on two horses and one mule. They’d obviously thought ahead. They also had two extra saddled horses with them.

“Why is it I don’t think we’re going to talk about campfires and ceremony sites?” laughed Avery as she touched down in a clearing.

“Because you’re a bright girl… although, depending on your night last night, maybe a horseback ride in the canyon isn’t high on your list of enjoyable activities. Seriously, we just thought it would be fun for the five of us to meander along the river.”

A not-so subtle squirm on her seat told Avery everything she wanted to know about how comfortable bumping along on a hard saddle was going to be. “I think I’ll be fine right here…”

“We can stay here,” Zara soothed, reading the reluctance in her tone. “I’ll tell them it’s me. Trust me, Finn especially willhave no problem believing I’d pissed Noah off to the point where riding a horse is not my idea of a good time.”

The last thing Avery wanted to be was the reason all her friends bowed out of their most favorite activity. Still, the things she had to admit were awfully personal. “I am among friends… right?”

Pausing in the midst of unbuckling herself from the chopper, Zara reached over to touch her hand. “You know you are. But more than that, not one of us is hooked up to some nice, easygoing special ops guy. There isn’t a man in this company who doesn’t believe that part of how they show their love and devotion is keeping his woman safe and happy. And when she doesn’t go along with it, none of them would think twice about turning their girl’s backside bright red before he gets between her legs and makes her cry uncle.”

“Actually, Thom likes Daddy… so do I,” Avery said. “Surprised though I am to admit it.”

Zara shrugged. “Nothing wrong with that. Come on, let’s go be footloose and fancy free. Depending on how bad the next few months get, it might be a while before we get another chance.”

“Hey, you two!” called Finn once Avery powered down the chopper and they climbed out.

“Finn, what is it with you and that stupid mule?” asked Zara, moseying out to meet them.

“What can I tell you, he’s hung and great in the sack. Oh,” Finn said in mock surprise, “you mean Jasper?” Reaching down, she rubbed the big mule’s neck while everyone laughed. “He’s just my buddy and he got me up and down some of the toughest trails in the canyon.”

Zara and Avery swung up and the five women began to ride along the sun-drenched sandy beach beside the river. Willa, Mandy, and Finn demanded to be caught up on the change in Avery and Thom’s relationship.

“You were Casey the Clown?” Willa asked, laughing in surprise. “Oh, my God, Avery, I saw you several times. You were really good. I can’t believe that the only one who figured it out was Zara.”

“In all honesty, it took me a while to put it together and then it was just too damn funny.”

“You do know there’s no way in hell Thom is going to let you keep doing that, don’t you?” asked Willa.

“So he tells me. But he rodeos so I don’t see why I can’t if he can,” Avery replied, prompting gales of laughter from the other four women.

“Same reason they stand up to pee… ‘cause they’re guys. I swear, one of the boys gets a speeding ticket in a company car for doing over one hundred miles per hour and John doesn’t even bat an eye, but if I get caught doing more than ten? I can’t sit down for two weeks. And over twenty or in bad weather, John takes off his belt and I end up with a set of stripes,” said Mandy.

“I once pointed out to Mac that what was sauce for the goose was sauce for the gander. He asked me if I wanted my rump roasted before or after I got his creamy sauce spilled all over it.”

“And here I always thought the boss was such a nice guy,” said Avery.

“Oh, he is. Right up to the point where I piss him off and break some arbitrary rule… then like the rest of you, I don’t sit down so good. What pisses me off is that the first time we were a couple, we only kind of played at slap and tickle. When the hell did he get all Uber-dom on me?”

“I remember when you came back into his life. John said he’d jerk a knot in your tail and make you settle down.”

Willa smiled. “I remember. Initially, when I’d get pissed, I could storm out of the house and be gone for days. The first time I tried that when we got back together, he striped not only myass, but the backs of my thighs. I, quite literally, couldn’t ride for a week.”

“You know the most annoying thing? It’s when they’ve explained just how displeased they are with your behavior and mount you from behind… and then every time they remind you of the level of pain they can inflict, their hips hit all the sore spots as they’re surging into you and you go”—she shivered—“all gooey inside.”

“Thank God,” said Avery. “I thought I was the only one. Yesterday after Thom spanked me, he made me stand in the corner…”

“And seriously, what the hell is up with that?” said Zara. “I mean, I know they think it’s humbling…”

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