Bartered: A Western Romance Read online

  Bartered

  By

  Mary Wehr

  Copyright © 2019 by Stormy Night Publications and Mary Wehr

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Published by Stormy Night Publications and Design, LLC.

  www.StormyNightPublications.com

  Wehr, Mary

  Bartered

  Cover Design by Korey Mae Johnson

  Images by The Killion Group and iStock/sankai

  This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  More Stormy Night Books by Mary Wehr

  Mary Wehr Links

  Chapter One

  Dodge City, 1890s

  “Jake, honey, got a minute?”

  Jake McCabe set aside last night’s balance sheet and motioned for the tall redhead to enter. “What is it now, Dory?” He thought about telling her he was busy, but that wouldn’t solve his dilemma.

  Lately, she’d been hinting about marriage. Dory was a very attractive woman and knew the ways around a man’s body, but since his father passed away four months ago, he was now the owner of the Long Horn Saloon, which made him her boss. Jake never mixed business with pleasure. Things had a way of getting too emotional.

  As far as marriage, well, he’d been through one disastrous union. He wasn’t about to make the same mistake again.

  Dory dismissed his wearisome tone with a smile and softly closed the door.

  Jake watched her approach his desk. She added a bit more of a wiggle to her hips, but it wasn’t going to change his mind. “If it’s to tell me that Megan and Claire are still griping at each other, then you can turn your tail right back around and let them know I’ll be up in five minutes with belt in hand.”

  “The girls are over their little snit,” she replied huskily and sashayed behind him.

  She reminded him of a hungry wolf eager to devour its prey, but Jake preferred to be the hunter, not the hunted.

  “I thought perhaps you’d like a bit of company since all is quiet at the moment.” She began to massage the back of his neck. It felt good... too good. “Why so tense?” she asked, adding fuel to the fire by suckling his earlobe.

  He thought of something else being suckled and his cock swelled in a natural response. All he’d have to do was reach for his fly and she’d be on her knees taking him in deep. Fuck.

  Dory blew softly into his ear. “We’d be so good together, Jake, both in bed and running this saloon.”

  Shit! “Enough already, Dory. You know the rules. I don’t fuck the girls who work for me.”

  “Dammit, Jake, I thought we had something special between us. Like taking our relationship a step further.”

  “Then you thought wrong.”

  Her eyes welled with tears. “You sure can be a cold-hearted bastard,” she said, adding a pitiful sob, which he openly ignored. Dory was a tough cookie.

  “Yup.” He tapped his temple. “Don’t forget smart too.”

  Amazing how those tears magically disappeared. “I recall a time when you enjoyed the feel of my hand and mouth on your cock.”

  Jake blew out a frustrated sigh. “That was before Pa died and I inherited this goddamned place.” He leaned forward. “Neither one of us made any promises, Dory.”

  With a toss of her head, she flounced to the door, only to stop and spare him a glance over one bare shoulder. “Could it be you’re still hankering after that pretty little thing from New Orleans?”

  “Don’t go there, Dory. You won’t care for the outcome.”

  Dory blanched and Jake cursed himself for losing control of his temper. He was the only one to blame for that colossal mistake. Even his own father had warned him not to act so hastily.

  Now that he was no longer a gullible eighteen-year-old boy he understood what his father had been trying to tell him. Sometimes beauty can be a cover for a vengeful heart. It was a lesson he had to learn the hard way.

  To add more shit to the already steaming pile that seemed to sum up his life lately, he was now the sole proprietor of the Long Horn Saloon and boss of five women. Herding a pack of feral cats had to be much easier.

  He tapped his fingers on his desk. “You say Claire and Megan settled things between them?”

  “They’re not screaming at each other anymore if that’s what you mean,” Dory replied, smiling faintly. “You best be on guard, though. Megan picks fights on purpose. Just seeing you come up to their room swinging that belt makes her wet and horny. She insists on calling you Papa Jake.”

  Jake grunted. He should’ve paid attention to his gut instinct when Megan showed up looking for a job. Her brash manner spelled trouble, but he’d hired her anyway. She needed the money and he needed another girl after one took off with a traveling salesman. Since then she’d caused nothing but discord.

  “Dory, I don’t give a horse’s ass what she or anyone else calls me, but make one thing clear to them all. I don’t play games. Once I find someone to take this place off my hands I’m gone. The next owner might not be so tolerant of her shenanigans.”

  Dory shrugged. “Megan craves attention. She wasn’t here when your pa owned the saloon. He seemed happy talking with his buddies. Took his mind off losing your ma, I suppose.”

  “It did until his ex-partner Ray Foley fucked things up. He was supposed to be Pa’s partner. Share the load, but all he did was sit around and drink the profits.” Jake was convinced the constant bickering between the two men had taken a toll on his father’s heart.

  He grabbed the papers he had set aside. Without looking up, he asked, “Is there anything else?”

  “No.” Seconds later the door slammed shut.

  Chapter Two

  Left alone with his thoughts, Jake leaned back in his chair and folded his arms behind his head. Tense was too mild of a word to describe his demeanor right now. Aggravated was more to the point.

  Ray Foley hadn’t been able to get a loan to buy the saloon so he’d asked Jake’s father, John, to be his partner.

  Being long-time friends, John had agreed. They would share responsibilities and split the profits once the bills were paid.

  But it hadn’t taken long for Ray to take advantage of the situation. He’d grab a bottle of whiskey off the shelf and fall asleep
in the back office while John did all the work.

  Jake couldn’t recall a time when his father had raised his voice, but when the daily accounts began coming up short, John brought it to Ray’s attention. Ray had accused John of calling him a thief, which had caused a rift between the two men.

  Ray had walked out of the verbal deal leaving John holding the bag. John had to delve into the family savings in order to pay off Ray’s share of the saloon.

  It didn’t take long for Ray to come crawling back full of apologies and empty promises. John adamantly refused to reestablish their former working relationship and that ended their friendship.

  When his father passed away, Jake wasn’t shocked to find out that he was now the sole proprietor of the saloon even though he had mentioned to his father time and time again that he wanted nothing to do with it.

  Running the Long Horn and bullshitting with his buddies had been a distraction for his father. Without his wife by his side, he had become depressed and that had worried Jake. It had seemed a grand idea at first, but Ray’s lackadaisical manner and love for the bottle had screwed things up.

  Now the bastard was hanging around the saloon like a fly on a bull’s ass trying his best to weasel his way back into the business, but he was wasting his time. No matter how much Jake longed to be rid of the place, he would heed his father’s wishes and not sell to Ray Foley. He didn’t trust the man. As a matter of fact, he didn’t trust anyone since his ex-wife, Lucille, had screwed him over.

  He remembered the day he’d met her like it was yesterday. He’d gone into town countless times without incident, but one day as he was passing by the train station, hair the color of sunshine had caught his attention. Mesmerized, he slowed his horse and watched a beautiful lady exit the train on the arm of an older gentleman. Their gazes connected and he felt as if he’d been sucker-punched in the gut.

  His knees shook and he nearly fell flat on his face when he dismounted. He walked over to them and introduced himself. “Sir, I’m Jake McCabe.”

  The older man looked confused but shook Jake’s outstretched hand. “Martin Warren and this is my daughter, Lucille. Is there something on your mind, young man?”

  Without further ado, Jake immediately asked permission to court Lucille.

  Jake recalled Martin’s stern words. “Young man, you both just met. For all, I know you could be some sort of outlaw. Besides, we don’t plan on staying long in Dodge. We’ll be heading home to New Orleans in a few days.”

  But Lucille playfully smacked her father lightly on the arm. “Oh, Daddy, don’t be so dramatic.” She looked at Jake with those captivating blue eyes. “I’d love to spend some time with you, Jake.”

  A few days turned into weeks. Then, despite warnings from both John and Martin about rushing into things, Jake asked Lucille to be his wife.

  On his wedding day, Jake had been on top of the world, but it hadn’t taken long for that world to come crashing down around him.

  Their first night together had been a disaster. Eyes wide and covered up to her chin in blankets, Lucille watched him undress. Youth and haste had been Jake’s downfall. The mere sight of his cock thrusting upward had Lucille scrambling from the bed and seeking refuge in the bathroom.

  Jake cursed himself for being too eager and not taking his virgin bride’s tender sensibilities into consideration.

  Despite his desperate need to claim what belonged to him, Jake promised to be patient and understanding. He’d wait until she was ready, only ready never came. Whenever he joined his bride in bed she was either fast asleep or sobbing for her daddy, who had left for New Orleans right after the wedding.

  Jake tolerated her sour moods with gritted teeth and eyes rolled heavenward. He listened to her complaints about ranch life with an open mind. Lucille had been surrounded by servants since the day she was born so he asked Martha if she would teach Lucille about the running of a household.

  Martha and her husband, Wilbur, were good honest people. Pa hired the middle-aged couple shortly after Ma died. Wilbur minded the barn and the horses while Martha did the cooking and cleaning. Wilbur was more on the silent side while Martha was loud and boisterous. But Martha was also a kind-hearted soul and was delighted to help, but when he walked in on Lucille berating Martha for not having her tea ready on time, he had had enough. What his spoiled wife needed was a good dose of some old-fashioned discipline. He took her by the arm and towed her upstairs for a good spanking.

  Only two swats in and Lucille screamed so loud he thought for sure the roof would cave in. She demanded to be taken back to town and have the marriage annulled. She would not stay married to a man who was cruel enough to beat her.

  At the end of his rope, Jake happily obliged. In record time he had the horses hitched to the wagon and pointing in the desired direction. He even purchased a ticket and booked her a room in the nearest hotel.

  She had the grace to admit that she’d married him to spite her father, who had another suitor in mind. A suitor much older than her and one she didn’t fancy. She never expected her father to give in so easily and basically abandon her.

  They parted on good terms or so he had thought. Before Lucille got on the stage she made sure to tell anyone who’d listen that Jake had beaten her.

  Flummoxed, Jake could only deny the charges and was relieved that his father had believed him. His close friends hadn’t believed the tale either, but some townsfolk still regarded him suspiciously to this day. Lucille’s father made sure Jake knew exactly what he thought of a man beating a woman.

  Jake never bothered to explain his side of the story. He signed the annulment papers and worked on putting the past where it belonged. Never again would he fall for a pretty face and fake tears.

  Snapping back to the present, Jake pushed aside those disturbing memories. Women were nothing but trouble. He was going to think long and hard about giving marriage another shot. He was only twenty-two. He still had time to find the right woman. One who didn’t use fake tears or pretend to be something she wasn’t. He’d marry a true proper lady.

  Hell, he should be grateful to Lucille. She taught him a valuable lesson. She may have broken the boy, but in the end, the experience only hardened the man he had become.

  Jake left the office chuckling to himself. The only female he knew who didn’t use tears in order to get her way was Ray’s daughter, Emmaline. The little hoyden had a knack for firing up his temper with just a smirk.

  They weren’t close friends. At the age of seventeen, the last thing Jake wanted to do was babysit a temperamental brat, but whenever her parents stopped by for a visit, the imp would beg and plead to go to the waterhole located on the property just about a half-mile from the house. And every damn time he’d be the one who had to go with her just in case she’d wander too far and drown.

  He could only wish.

  But he wasn’t about to let her do the dictating. If he had to spend the day sitting on a rock baking in the hot sun while Emmaline frolicked in the water then there would be some rules, like not swimming where the water was too deep.

  She had broken that rule the very first day. As soon as she hit the water she’d inch toward the deeper end of the pool, stopping once in a while to toss a glance over her shoulder as if daring him to come after her. He’d been tempted to let her wander as far as she pleased, but his conscience wouldn’t allow it. So he pretended to ignore her even though his sights were on her at all times.

  Rule number two. He decided when to call it a day. She wouldn’t whine or plead to stay a few minutes longer. But Miss Emmaline Foley had proven once again to be a disobedient brat.

  Jake recalled the first time he motioned for her to get out of the water. He stood at the water’s edge with his fists propped on his hips and the hellion deliberately ignored him. Reining in his temper, he calmly ordered her out of the water and when that failed he shocked her by diving into the water fully clothed and dragging her out.

  After that incident all he’d have to do was
stand up and give her ‘the look’ and she’d head straight for the shore.

  When her mother passed away the visits ended. No more excursions to the swimming hole. Every so often he’d think about Emmaline and wonder how she was faring. It seemed so long ago since they had gone head to head over her stubbornness or his high-handed attitude. The brat must be eighteen or nineteen by now. Hell, she might even be married for all he knew. His failed marriage had hardened him to the wiles of women. If he had an itch to be scratched he went on to the next town. He knew how to cook and wash his own clothes. He didn’t need a woman around.

  The talk in town was cheap. Most of the time it was about Ray Foley and the despicable manner in which he had raised his daughter. She was very outspoken and behaved like a lady only when she felt like it.

  Somehow Jake wasn’t at all that surprised. She’d always been spirited. A big difference from the gently bred Lucilles of the world.

  As he matured his sexual appetites had changed.

  He relished a challenge. He longed to tame a wildcat. Bend her to his will. Spank her ass until she pleaded for him to fuck her hard. To fuck her ass. Squeeze her punished cheeks until she screamed his name. Show her in no uncertain terms that he was the only man capable of making her burn. Women like Lucille would faint to be handled so roughly.

  The last time he’d seen Emmaline fairly up close was over a year ago, only she hadn’t seen him. The afternoon sun had been relentless that summer day and, on the spur of the moment, he decided to go for a swim. He never expected to see Emmaline and her friend, Amelia, there frolicking in their undergarments.

  Acting more like an unruly schoolboy, he hunkered down behind some bushes and watched as they emerged from the water. Amelia was a pretty girl, but his focus remained on Emmaline. His cock swelled at the sight of her pink perky nipples and the shadowy cleft between her thighs. Emmaline Foley had grown into a beautiful young woman.

  Jake sighed. Emmaline was a beauty with a wild streak just waiting to be tamed and by God, he wanted to be the man to tame her.

  She was also the daughter of a man he despised and for his sake and hers, he had to keep his distance.