Page 219 of Wild Mustang Security Firm

Thom saw Casey/Avery take a bow, acknowledging her successful rescue of Dempsey for the amusement of the crowd before heading out of the ring. Vaulting over the fence, Thom took off after her, trying to make his way through the confusion both in the arena and on the other side of it where participants had their vehicles parked. He searched for her teal-colored Jeep but couldn’t see it. The only vehicle he did see was a nondescript SUV pulling out of the parking lot. If that really was Avery—and judging by her voice, he was positive that it was—then she’d come a long way to throw herself in front of a bull. Then again,she was a pilot. She could easily have flown into town to rent a vehicle.

He glanced at his watch. Although it was the middle of the afternoon in New Mexico, the site of the rodeo, it was evening in London. Still, Noah ought to be awake. Ever since Noah had gotten involved with the investigative reporter, Zara Hughes, he was usually in bed having his way with Zara by this time. Thom grinned, and then called Noah anyway.

“Fuck it, Lyndon, this had better be good…” came the surly growl on the other end of the phone.

Thom could hear Zara’s husky laughter in the background.

“It is. It’s Avery…” replied Thom, trying to keep the smirk out of his voice.

“What about her? Have you finally decided to… where the hell do you think you’re going? Get your ass back in this bed!”

This time Thom couldn’t contain his amusement. “I take it you’re talking to Zara…”

“Damn straight and if Zara isn’t careful, she’s going to end up over my knee before she ends up on her back.”

Thom could hear Zara swear in the background. He really had caught his friend at a bad time. Zara and Noah hadn’t been together all that long and were both thriving in their new relationship. Zara seemed to still have an issue with the fact that all of the principals of the firm were very open about their relationships and the elements of power exchange in each. The only exception to that was Thom—partly because he was the only one who was not committed and partly because none of them recognized that Thom was just as dominant as everyone else. He wasn’t an over-the-top alpha male, and never had been. His dominance was a more gentle, nurturing form of loving authority.

His musing was abruptly ended when he heard the resounding thwack of Noah’s hand connecting with Zara’sbehind; she cursed, and Noah growled before swatting her again. Noah was a good guy and was head-over-heels in love with Zara, but Zara was a hellcat of the first order and if given an inch, she’d take a mile. Each of them was flourishing in the other’s care, but while Thom did envy his best friend for finding someone who so thoroughly filled his needs, Thom also knew he much preferred women who craved the loving support of a sexually dominant daddy.

“Okay now,” Noah said, now that his own situation was settling back down. “What about Avery?”

“I saw her today.”

“Not a big surprise considering you work together. Someone making a move on your girl?”

“She’s not my girl,” Thom said a bit too quickly.

“Yet,” Noah replied. “And whose fault is that, cowboy? I know you like to ride broncs; I just don’t understand why you don’t throw a rig on that particular filly and ride her until you get her broke. Ouch! Damn it. What have I told you about biting me?”

Thom laughed. “Again, I take it you’re talking to Zara.”

“It’s not funny. She’s a nasty little vixen when she’s horny and doesn’t have my undivided attention, which she’s about to get applied to her backside a whole lot harder than she usually likes it. I’m serious, if I have to remind her yet again just which one of us is in charge around here… hang on a minute. I said enough.”

Thom could hear scrambling around and then heard the steady sound of Noah delivering a no-nonsense spanking that quickly had Zara wailing in response. And here Thom was, without his popcorn.

The rhythmic tattoo that Noah laid down seemed to be getting through to his beloved fairly quickly. What could beheard first as struggling and cursing soon devolved into crying and pleading.

“Had enough?” Noah asked in the distance. “Good, then you go stand in the corner until I’ve talked to Thom and decided just how long, how hard, and which hole I’m going to fuck first.” A strained silence followed. “Think about it, Zara. I have no trouble telling Thom I’ll call him back… good girl.” The last was said in a loving, soothing voice and then the phone was picked up again. “Sorry about that. Now what’s up with you and Avery?”

“I keep telling you there is no me and Avery.”

“And yet, here you are. On the phone with me, whining about her…”

Thom wasn’t grinning anymore. “I’m not whining,” he said a bit too defensively. “Okay, maybe I am. I shouldn’t have called. Obviously, I interrupted you and Zara. Tell her I apologize for getting her in trouble.”

“I got news for you, buddy. Zara doesn’t need anyone’s help to get herself in trouble and if her nose doesn’t stay in that corner, her pretty bottom is going to get turned a deeper shade of red. I take it something happened today?”

Thom was fascinated with how Noah could so effectively deal with his misbehaving fiancée and still sound so calm and in control when talking to him. “You could say that. I’m at the rodeo in Santa Fe right now…”

“How’d you do?”

“Not bad,” replied Thom, brightening. “I won the bareback and came in second in the saddle bronc and calf roping.”

“I’ll bet that earned your current charity of choice a nice little donation.”

Thom grinned. Not only was Noah the only one who knew he was a very successful professional rodeo cowboy, but he was the only one who knew that each weekend Thom picked a local charity and donated whatever winnings he made tothem. Except that Noah wasn’t the only one who knew now, Thom suddenly realized. As fast as Avery took off after that last bullfight, she had to have recognized him too.

“Avery was at the rodeo.”

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