Be My Cowboy: An Alpha Cowboy and Curvy City Girl (Knox Dude Ranch Book 1) Read online

  Be My Cowboy

  Alpha Cowboy and Curvy City Girl

  Hope Ford

  Be My Cowboy Copyright © 2019 by Hope Ford.

  All Rights Reserved.

  Editor: Kasi Alexander

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Cover designed by Hope Ford

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Hope Ford

  Visit my website at https://www.AuthorHopeFord.com

  Be My Cowboy - An Alpha Cowboy and Curvy City Girl

  Knox Dude Ranch 1

  Liam

  My ex left me because she didn’t want to live on a ranch in the country. So yes, I’m a little bitter toward city women. But when Arabella shows up at our dude ranch, she’s fun, flirty and tempting. Oh so tempting!

  Arabella

  I came here to the ranch because I want a cowboy. I know maybe I have built this up in my mind, but I want someone that is not afraid of hard work, who values family, and is a real man. I’m here for a week, and besides relaxing, I plan to make that cowboy mine.

  This is a Steamy, Sweet, Short Story Romance! Each one in the series can be read on its own. No Cliffhangers! If you love short romances with insta love, hot love scenes, and a sweet story, then this one is for you.

  Chapter 1

  Liam

  “This is a crazy idea, Dad. We don’t need city slickers here at the ranch.” I shake my head at him. I haven’t stopped shaking my head at him since he announced this idea to me a year ago. I know it’s too late now. He has officially turned our working horse ranch into a dude ranch. He’s built ten cabins on our 350 acres and turned our house into a lodge. However, I have to try one more time to talk him out of this nonsense. “Come on, Dad. Things were perfect the way they were.”

  I normally don’t buck my dad on anything. We are co-owners on this spread; however, he owns fifty-one percent, making him the final decision maker. He came up with this idea shortly after I got my heart broke by some city girl. And yes, I’m a little bitter. I definitely don’t want to be around city people. Especially ones that come here thinking they are going to love the country life and then decide they can’t leave here fast enough.

  “Liam, we have gone over this. It’s happening. Now come on, let’s go meet our guests,” he says as he walks out onto our front porch. I follow and let the screen door slam behind me. I look out at our ranch and know it really is picture perfect. The Smoky Mountains serve as a beautiful backdrop to the expansive land. The beauty of it still takes my breath away even after living here for the whole twenty-five years of my life.

  I hear the gravel crunch as the shuttle pulls in with our first guests. I stand back and watch as my dad and some other ranch hands go out to greet everyone. There are around four couples that step out of the shuttle and before the last person gets out, I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

  I have plenty I should be doing, but I’m glued to the spot and can’t take my eyes off that door. Kolton, one of our ranch hands, sticks his hand out to help whoever it is step down onto the gravel driveway. I can’t see anything around his broad shoulders. I walk slowly down the steps, willing him to move out of my way.

  When I get to the bottom step, Kolton finally moves and standing before me is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She has long blond hair with big blue eyes. Her lips are candy apple red and she has big hoop earrings dangling from her small ears. I know I shouldn’t, but I glance down the rest of her. Her large breasts are pressed against her tight blouse. She has on tight blue jeans encasing her wide hips and I silently wish for her to turn around so I can see her backside. She stumbles, and before I can reach her, Kolton has his hands out to steady her. I take my hat off and wipe the back of my sleeve across my forehead. She has on heels of some sort that look like a door wedge. She screams city girl, and I should be running in the opposite direction, but I can’t move from my spot. My cock swells in my jeans and my whole body heats at seeing her with Kolton’s hands on her shoulders.

  I stalk over to her and when I get close, where I’m standing right in front of her, she raises her head to look up at me. At first glance, her cheeks turn red and she smiles widely. Man, she’s even more beautiful up close and that seems to piss me off even more.

  “This is a ranch. You either wear tennis shoes or boots here. Those”—I point at her shoes—“well, you will kill yourself in those,” I say to her snidely. The heat of July in Tennessee, the fact that she’s obviously a city girl or being pissed about her being in Kolton’s arms could be any of the reasons for why I’m so enraged right now. She stares back at me, shocked, and before she can respond, I walk away from her toward the barn. I can hear my dad apologizing as I walk away.

  Arabella

  What in the world was that? I feel it in my core, it’s a soft burn in my lower belly. I watch the cowboy saunter away and I can’t take my eyes off him. His jeans are tight and worn, showing off his firm ass. He’s tall, a lot taller than my five foot six inches, and he’s got broad shoulders. I’m not sure because of the hat, but I would bet he keeps his hair short. Even with his back to me now, I can’t get the image of his face out of my mind. He was pissed. I could see it in the depths of his deep brown eyes and the flair of his nostrils. But there was something else. There was a heat coming from him, and I felt the lust in his gaze. For whatever reason, he’s not happy with me. But that doesn’t deter me.

  I came here because I want a cowboy. I know maybe I have built this up in my mind, but I want someone that is not afraid of hard work, who values family, and is a real man. I’m here for a week, and besides relaxing, I plan to make that cowboy mine.

  “I apologize for my son, ma’am. I swear I raised him better than that,” an older man says to me.

  “Son. That man is your son?” I ask him curiously, but even as I ask, I can see the resemblance.

  “Yes. I’m Jacob, owner of the Knox Dude Ranch. And that is Liam. He’s my son and also half owner.” He gestures to the barn that Liam walked into. “Anyway, I’m sorry, there’s no excuse to treat a woman that way and he knows better. I’ll have a talk with him.”

  “Oh no, please don’t. It’s fine. I think I’ve upset him somehow. But trust me, I’ve dealt with worse. I will work it out with him.” I smile at the older man gently and I can tell by the way he looks at me he can see the glint in my eye.

  He hesitates as if trying to read my mind, then smiles at me. “I’m sure you will. Dinner is served in the main lodge at six.” And he tips his hat before he walks away.

  I smile innocently at him before I follow one of the ranch hands that offered to show me to my log cabin.

  The cabin is spacious and in way better condition than one would expect from a dude ranch. It has an open floor plan with two doors off the living room. One leads to the full bathroom and the other to the bedroom with a king-size bed. Everything is tastefully decorated. I start to unpack, but I can’t get my mind off Liam. I decide to freshen up, change my shoes and go check out the ranch.

  I stop on my porch and appreciate the view. In front of me are the scenic Smoky Mountains and to the right of me is th
e beautiful Knox River. Stepping down off the porch, I go in search of Liam.

  Chapter 2

  Liam

  I mucked a few stalls and sweat is pouring off my body. I worked hard, taking my muscles through the paces, trying to get my mind off her—the city girl that just turned my world upside down. My first reaction is to go to her and bend her over the hitching post in the front of her cabin and pound my hard cock into her over and over until I beat her into submission. But I can’t. It’s obvious just by looking at her she has her mind set on finding her a cowboy. What else would a young woman be doing at a dude ranch? I’m sure she wants to test out a cowboy and then go back to the city with stories of her country adventure. And although it’s tempting, I can’t bring myself to give in. She has that look about her, and I know she could break me if she tried.

  I jerk the shirt off my back and use it to wipe off my forehead. Laying it over the nearest saddle rack, I immediately pick up the pitchfork and start spreading hay in one of the stalls. Lost in thought, I feel her presence before I see her. Slowly, I turn my head toward the door and she’s there with her mouth hanging wide open and her hand on her chest. Her body is trembling, her face flushed, and I would almost think she’s close to orgasm just standing there.

  “What are you doing out here?” I should just ignore her and go back to work, but I can’t.

  “I, uh, wanted to see you,” she tells me as she walks closer to me and leans against the gate.

  I can’t get out of here without rubbing against her and I know if I do that, I won’t be able to hold back. I stand there holding the pitchfork just looking at her, trying to figure her out.

  She watches me and must see the grimace on my face.

  “You don’t like me, do you?” she asks me. She’s confident, but I can hear the hesitancy in her voice.

  I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t dislike you.”

  “So, you just have an issue with my footwear then?” She grins at me.

  I release the breath I’ve been holding. “Look, I shouldn’t have said anything to you. It’s none of my business what you wear. I apologize for being an ass.”

  “It’s okay. You can make it up to me by giving me a riding lesson.” It no sooner comes out of her mouth than I’m picturing her naked, bouncing up and down on my dick, riding me.

  “I can’t do that,” I huskily reply.

  “Why not? I saw in the brochure that you are the instructor.”

  “Well, I’m not teaching you. I will get one of the others to do it.” My thoughts instantly go to one of the female ranch hands. No way am I turning her over to any of the men here.

  She rears back like I’ve slapped her.

  “Look, I’m sorry. It’s like I can’t stop being an ass around you. I just don’t think it’s a good idea for me to give you the lesson. I will schedule you with one of the other ranch hands for tomorrow,” I tell her reassuringly.

  She shakes her head at me. “Sure, Liam, no problem. Maybe I’ll see you at dinner.” She turns and starts to walk toward the door.

  I stop her by asking, “What’s your name?”

  She turns her head to look over her shoulder at me. “Arabella.”

  “Of course it is,” I mutter as I watch her ass shake as she walks out the door.

  Arabella

  He walks into the lodge for dinner and as if he was looking for me, his gaze goes directly to where I’m standing. I can feel the heat of that gaze all the way down my body. He acts like he hates me, but there’s something there. I follow one of the other ranch hands through the buffet line and he’s cracking jokes the whole time. I can’t stop myself from laughing at his antics. I fill my plate with all the yummy goodness, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, and a big, buttery roll. I wish I could be one of those girls that just ate salad and was happy with it, but I’m not. I will make my run in the morning a little longer to stop this from going straight to my already wide hips.

  When I turn at the end of the line and search for a place to sit, my gaze lands on Liam. The seat next to him is empty. I pull myself together and encourage myself that I can do this. I carry my plate over to where he is sitting. “Is this seat taken?”

  He grunts his reply, but at least he doesn’t embarrass me by telling me to move on. He pulls the chair out for me and I figure that is going to be the biggest invitation I get. Once I sit down, I immediately take notice of the mistake I have made. When I look around the table I realize I am sitting with all the ranch hands. Before I can get up to move, the others take pity on me and start asking me questions about where I’m from and what all I’m wanting to do this week.

  I talk to them about how I’ve always lived in the city, which earns me a grunt from Liam. I glance over at him and continue talking about how I would like to try fishing, but what I most want to do is learn how to ride.

  One of the men at the table speaks up and offers to take me riding the next day. Before he can get it all out, Liam speaks for the first time.

  “I’ve already got it taken care of, Mason,” he tells the other man.

  Turning to Liam, I say, “Are you taking me riding tomorrow?”

  He glances at me then looks away. “No, I already talked to Sarah about it and she is going to teach you.”

  Deflated, I try to hide my reaction from him. I had hoped that he was going to take me. Everyone digs into their food and then chewing is all you hear around the table. My leg is pressed up against Liam’s and I can feel the heat radiating off of him. I try to hold my leg still so he doesn’t move his. I peek sideways at him and I can see the strain in his face. I know I affect him, but why is he holding back?

  When I’m finished eating, I pile my trash onto my throwaway plate. Before getting up, I put my hand on Liam’s strong thigh and address the table. “Thank you, gentlemen, for sharing your table with me. I will see you all tomorrow.” I stand up, giving Liam a squeeze on his shoulder just because I can’t stop touching him.

  Before I can walk away, the ranch hand that Liam called Mason stands up and says, “Let me walk you to your cabin, Arabella.”

  I was going to politely decline, but Liam jumps to his feet and tells him, “I’ll take her.” Mason and Liam look back and forth at each other and I’m sure that Mason sees the glint in his eye, because he sits back down.

  Liam grabs the plate out of my hands and takes it to the trash can with his now empty dishes. I start walking to the door, and Liam steps ahead of me and opens it. He’s still frowning, and I can’t help but wonder why he hates me so much.

  “You know, I can walk myself home,” I say to him before I gasp. Looking out in the distance, the lowering sun is between two peaks and the beautiful colors are reflecting off the clouds. I have never seen a more beautiful sight. Excitedly, I grab onto Liam’s hand. “How can you not always be smiling with a view like that every day? My God, it’s breathtaking.”

  “Yes, it is,” he whispers softly. I’m smiling ear to ear when I glance over at Liam. But he is not watching the sun set. He’s not even smiling; he’s watching me. I can see the turmoil in his eyes and want to ask him about it, but I don’t. I tug his hand to start walking again. I don’t want to let go, I don’t want him to run me off, I just want him to leave his hand in mine a little longer.

  As we get closer to my cabin, I try to keep up the steady stream of conversation. He tells me about being raised on this ranch and that ranch life is all he has ever known.

  “Yes, everything seems so much simpler here. I could stay here forever,” I say to him as I step up onto my porch.

  “Right. I bet,” he mutters.

  “What? It’s true. I’ve always wanted to live in the country,” I rebuke him.

  “I’ve heard it before. You would grow tired of this place in a week. You think you could live here forever, but you would miss shopping, and malls, and whatever else you do.”

  Indignantly I say to him, “Is that all you think I do? I have a degree in marketing that I worked really hard for. I
have some job interviews lined up, some of them here in Tennessee. I’m not just some spoiled city girl.”

  As I turn to walk into the cabin, Liam stops me by touching my shoulder. I look back at him and see the remorse in his face.

  “Look, I’m sorry. I once dated a girl from the city and let’s just say it didn’t end well. However, I shouldn’t take my bitterness out on you. I’m sorry. Really.” During his little speech, he has taken his hat off and is holding it against his chest. I want to question him about it, but I can already see him closing himself off from me.

  Standing up on my tiptoes, I grip the front of his shirt in my hands and tug him down to me. “It was her loss, Liam,” I whisper right before I touch my lips to his. Our lips brush against each other slightly and I can’t stop myself from deepening the kiss by just pressing myself into him. His heat envelops me and I pull back and gasp at the brief contact. Oh my word, I can feel that kiss all the way down to my toes.

  “Thanks for walking me home, Liam.” And I turn quickly and step into my cabin.

  Chapter 3

  Liam

  That kiss… that was one of the hottest kisses I’ve ever experienced. I walk fast back to the main lodge. I go by the few stragglers still in there eating and the hands cleaning up. Even when the cook tries to stop me, I mutter something about being in a hurry and I go to the east end of the lodge where my private quarters are.

  As soon as I walk in, I yank down my jeans and pull my dick out. I’m already hard. Harder than I can ever remember being. It’s been a year since I’ve had sex, but my cock is like a steel rod. I wrap my fist around it and give it one long stroke. The veins are popping out along the length of it and I coat my hand in the cum leaking from my slit. I stroke it down my pole, gripping it tighter and tighter as I imagine dipping my cock into Arabella’s soft pussy.

  Gripping myself tightly, flashes of Arabella cross my mind as my breath comes in pants and I stroke myself, gyrating my hips back and forth forcefully. The thought of her naked underneath me brings me to a whole new high. I roar her name as I shoot stream after stream of hot cum across the room.