Bucked Read online

  Bucked

  Tara Sue Me

  Copyright © 2020 by Tara Sue Me

  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 written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover by: Mister Sue Me

  Cover photo: depositphotos

  ISBN Ebook 9781950017157

  ISBN Print 9781950017164

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue Orson

  Epilogue Kiara

  Epilogue Jed

  Don’t Miss

  Top Trouble

  About the Author

  Also by Tara Sue Me

  Chapter 1

  Kiara

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Bowman. We tried everything we could, but with the budget cuts and the new programs the Senate mandated we start…” The school commissioner shook his head. “It’s not possible to keep a nurse on staff.”

  Kiara bit her tongue. Not an easy thing to do while continuing to stare at the man who’d just told her an out-and-out lie while keeping a straight face.

  “You understand, don’t you,” he continued. “That if it were up to us, we wouldn’t be having this conversation?”

  Kiara cleared her throat. “Of course, Mr. Griffin.” She understood, all right. Understood that if Dan Griffin didn’t want his wife to know he was screwing his assistant all those nights he was in the office “working late” he would do whatever he was told, including firing Kiara.

  Across the table from her, Dan wiped his forehead. There was no reason for him to sweat. Though Dallas in late September meant a hot and sticky day outside, the air conditioner kept the conference room they were in at meat storage temperatures. No, if she had to guess, he sweated because he didn’t want to get called on the lie.

  She knew the budget numbers as well as he did, and while the Senate’s new program placed an unexpected burden on the school system, it wasn’t large enough to force them to let her go. Her ex, Randy Winters, was the reason she’d just been given the boot.

  “If there’s nothing else, gentlemen?” she asked, standing. It wouldn’t do her any good to get upset and argue or ask the board to reconsider. What was done was done and couldn’t be undone. Besides, she had bigger problems to deal with. Like Randy, and how to find a job he had no control over.

  Dan shook his head. “No. There’s nothing else.”

  Kiara silently collected her purse and walked out the door, heading to her car. She didn’t look to see if anyone watched her, having learned months ago it was easier to assume someone always was. The day she left Randy he’d told her she’d never be free from him, and he would always be there. Watching. Waiting. He said she might walk out of his door, but she’d never be able to walk out of his life. Not for good, and he’d make certain she knew it. After all, he’d told her, everyone had a price.

  That people could be bought no longer shocked her. What she never understood was how people sold their souls for so little.

  She had planned to go home when she got in her car. Yes, it was a Friday afternoon, but she had nothing else to do or anywhere else to go. She might as well get home, pour some wine, and start looking for a new job. No wild and crazy Friday nights for her; she was an adult and sometimes being an adult meant doing boring shit.

  But instead of taking the exit leading home, she drove past it. Boring shit would have to wait for another day. Besides, she had no desire to spend another weekend alone. When her twin sister, Kelly, bought a new house with Evan, the love of her life, she’d told Kiara her door was always open.

  The couple had moved in a few weeks ago, and though Kiara had only been to their house once, she knew neither Kelly nor Evan would mind her showing up. They had two extra bedrooms and Kelly had designated one for her, knowing Kiara still had occasional nightmares about her ex.

  Evan and Kelly both worked at a nearby ranch resort. It was a unique place in that it was family-friendly Monday through Friday morning, and open for kink players and groups Friday nights through Sunday. Evan was a managing partner and Kelly had quit her job with the Dallas PD to be the ranch’s head of security. Kiara, herself, had worked there as a nurse during the past summer.

  In hind sight, she should have taken a quick glance at the calendar to see what was planned at the ranch this weekend. Not that it mattered, even if it was an open play weekend, which allowed anyone to play who had been vetted by the ranch, she wouldn't participate. If it came down to it and there was nothing to do, she’d volunteer to be on call for any medical needs that might crop up. Hell, anything was better than sitting around her house and wondering if Randy watched nearby.

  Traffic was heavier than normal due to it being a Friday and people wanting to get out of Dallas for the weekend. But once she was a few miles outside the city limits and headed toward the ranch, traffic died down.

  The only downside to the long drive was the time it afforded her to think. Because of her destination, her mind drifted to Orson Kent, the ranch’s owner. Evan had told her that before purchasing the Texas ranch, Orson owned a similar resort in Las Vegas. Had she not known that, she would have imagined Orson growing up in Texas. He truly looked like he belonged on a ranch.

  He had deep brown eyes, and though they were normally covered by the sunglasses he wore, whenever he took them off, one felt the warmth of his gaze. Well-built paired with the ability to wear a cowboy hat like nobody’s business, it was a damn shame about his rules.

  It had been made clear very early during Kiara’s short employment over the summer that Orson was not looking for anything serious, and he never hooked up with his employees. Frankly, the former was fine by Kiara. She didn’t want a serious relationship, not with Randy out there watching, anyway. However, she wouldn’t have cared if Orson hadn’t been so strict on the later.

  But he was.

  In fact, the entire time she’d been at the ranch this summer, not once had she seen him play. Heck, she wasn’t even sure if he was into kink. She’d assumed he was, otherwise she doubted he would he own a kink place. Yet she thought it odd she’d never heard mention of whether he was a Dom, sub, or switch. She wondered if Kelly knew and made a mental note to ask her sister this weekend.

  As she drew closer to her sister’s, she worried. What if Kelly and Evan had something planned for this weekend? What if they planned a few days out of town or had already left?

  Well, she told herself, she’d get back in her car and drive home. No need to worry about anything until she knew for certain. Although, she added at the rumble of her stomach, she’d stop for dinner somewhere before heading home.

  While it was still light outside by the time she pulled into the neighborhood where her sister lived, it wouldn’t be for long. Already the days grew shorter. Cooler weather would arrive before long and before she blinked, it would be Thanksgiving. She hated having to turn the clocks b
ack.

  Both Kelly’s car and Evan’s truck were parked outside of their new house. Kiara relaxed, not realizing until she did how tense she’d grown during the drive. Next time, she’d call before driving out.

  Kelly stood in the doorway by the time Kiara parked and made her way up the walkway. “Kiara!” she called. “What a nice surprise. I wasn’t expecting you today. Come on inside.”

  “Sorry for just stopping by like this.” Kiara stepped into her sister’s warm and welcoming home. “I didn’t realize I was on my way here until I was already in the car.”

  “I don’t even care, I’m just glad you’re here.” Kelly pulled her close for a hug. “How are you?”

  Kiara waved her question away, not wanting to discuss her jobless status at the moment. “Blah,” she said. “I don’t want to talk about me right now.”

  Kelly narrowed her eyes, obviously picking up there was something going on with her. Fortunately, they knew each other well enough to know when to push. This was not one of those times. Kelly nodded. “Let me know when you’re ready to talk and I’ll be here.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Have you had dinner yet?” Kelly motioned for her to follow, and Kiara walked behind her. The last time Kiara had seen her sister and Evan’s house was the weekend they moved. The walls had been bare then and boxes lined the floors. From what she could see, they had settled in and made a cozy home.

  Evan was already in the kitchen when they walked in. He stood by the oven, stirring a large pot smelling like chili, and looked up at their entrance.

  “Hey, Kiara,” he said, a big smile on his face. “Hope you’re hungry.”

  “It smells wonderful,” she said.

  “He’s made enough to feed an army,” Kelly rolled her eyes.

  “I’m a growing boy. I need to eat.”

  Kelly patted his stomach. “Keep it up and the only thing growing will be your belly.”

  She was obviously teasing him. There was no fat on Evan’s belly and Kiara knew how much manual work he did on the ranch. He could probably eat anything he wanted and wouldn’t gain a bit of fat.

  Evan said nothing in reply to Kelly, but when she turned back to Kiara, he pinched her butt. Kiara laughed at the way Kelly’s face turned red. She’d always hated that, especially since Kiara never flushed.

  It never failed to make Kiara laugh when people said she and Kelly didn’t look like twins. She wasn’t sure why it came as a surprise to anyone, after all, they weren’t identical. Yet it only took one glance for people to look at Kiara - tall, slender, with brown wavy hair and compare her to Kelly who was short, curvy, and had to-die-for red hair, for them to find it hard to believe they were any relation at all.

  “I hope I didn’t ruin any weekend plans the two of you had,” Kiara said.

  “Nah.” Evan went back to stirring his chili. “Kelly and I are teaching a class at the ranch tomorrow, but that’s all we have planned.”

  Kiara didn’t ask what sort of class they’d be teaching. Since it was a weekend, it would be kinky. Not that she cared whether her sister was kinky or not, nor did the knowledge itself bother her. They had gone to different colleges, and both discovered their interest in BDSM during that time. But while Kiara was a submissive, Kelly was a switch. Evan, Kiara knew, was a Dominant. She wasn’t sure how Evan and Kelly’s relationship went and the truth was, she didn’t care to know.

  “You can come with us tomorrow,” Kelly said. “Orson is working on harvesting the pear trees and needs all the help he can get.”

  She’d spend part of her day with the super hot Orson? There were worse ways to spend her time. If she couldn’t have Orson, even for a fling, at least she could watch him work and fantasize a little.

  That didn’t make her desperate, did it?

  Not wanting to think about it, she asked, “Pear trees? What even?”

  For the life of her, she couldn’t imagine why someone with a ranch like Orson’s would do anything with pear trees.

  “They were there before he bought the ranch,” Evan explained. “He thought it’d be a fun family activity for the weekday visitors. Unfortunately, the orchards weren’t in as good of a shape as he would have liked, so he’s been working to get everything straightened out in the hope next year, he can open up the orchard to guests.”

  “And the harvest season has started,” Kelly finished. “It’s not going to be huge, but it’s not a small orchard and he’s been the only person working on it. I overheard him say this afternoon it seemed as if every tree was ready to be picked at the same time.”

  “Isn’t that what’s supposed to happen in a harvest?” Kiara asked.

  Evan laughed. “You have to understand that before he opened the ranch here, he lived in Las Vegas. He has zero experience with anything agricultural.”

  “At least he’s willing to try something new,” Kiara said. “That’s better than allowing the orchard to fall into disarray.”

  “And,” Kelly added. “He said if he could get the pear trees in decent shape, he might try to add apples next year.”

  “It’s not that simple though, is it?” Kiara asked. “Doesn’t it take a few years before they produce?”

  “I’m sure.” Kelly nodded. She took a spoon from beside Evan’s pot of chili and dipped it in for a bite. “Ouch,” she said. “Hot, but good. Anyway, I take it as a good sign. If he’s willing to start an apple orchard, he must plan to stay around and not move soon.”

  Evan nodded. “He said to me the other day he was surprised at how much he enjoyed Texas. Said the climate was better and that in his old age, he didn’t want to deal with the crazy life and crazy people he had to in Vegas.”

  “It sounds to me like he’s wanting to settle down.” Kiara wondered if he’d met someone since she’d left the ranch at the end of the summer. Just because he hadn’t been dating anyone then, didn’t mean he wasn’t seeing someone now. It’d been months and she couldn’t picture a guy like Orson staying single very long if he didn’t want to be.

  “If you mean settle down meaning he’s found where he wants to put down roots, yes. But if you mean get married, have two point five kids, and a white picket fence, then no.” Evan playfully snapped his towel in Kelly’s direction when she went for more chili.

  “Don’t even think about it.” Her sister spoke with a teasing tone, but the look in her eyes was anything but teasing.

  The look he gave her back said he’d done a lot more than think about it, but he didn’t push anything. “Orson isn’t seeing anyone,” he said, returning to his conversation with Kiara. “Come to think of it, I don’t remember him dating anyone since I’ve been in Texas. I haven’t heard rumors of him seeing anyone, either. That’s odd? Don’t you think?”

  “Not necessarily,” Kelly said. “I don’t think Orson would have trouble finding a date if he wanted one. I know of several women who have outright asked him to dinner or if he was interested in playing with them. He turned every single one of them down.”

  “How do you know this?” Evan asked. “I don’t even know this.”

  Kelly shrugged. “Women like to talk. It’s amazing what you can hear in the bathrooms and dressing rooms.”

  “You’re a spy.” Evan nodded as if he’d just uncovered the secrets of the universe. “I like it. Kind of kinky and sexy all mixed together.”

  “I’m not a spy. Let’s just say I’m a very good listener, and if people gossip around me? Hell, I’m not going to tell them to go somewhere else. I’ll just listen in.”

  Evan’s eyes danced with mirth. “And that is why I love you so much. You never feel the need to apologize for who you are. People can either take you or leave you.”

  “That’s one reason anyway,” Kelly said with a wicked smile.

  Just being in her sister’s house and watching her interaction with Evan made Kiara’s crappy day better. Kelly looked at her and Kiara knew she should bring up what happened with the school board earlier. She opened her mouth to do just that
, when Evan’s phone rang.

  He picked it up from the countertop near the chili. “Texas number, but I don’t recognize who it is.”

  Kiara never answered her phone if she didn’t know the caller. But that was after receiving numerous prank calls she chalked up to her ex. Obviously, Evan wouldn’t have that problem. Kiara and Kelly waited while he answered.

  “Hello?” There was a pause as someone talked with him, but Kiara couldn’t hear the other person. “Yes,” Evan replied to whatever they’d asked, and then fell silent as he listened.

  Kiara didn’t think it was her imagination his expression turned into something resembling concern. Kelly confirmed her suspicion when she took a step closer and placed her hand on his arm.

  “Is he okay?” he asked. There wasn’t time to wonder what he meant before he continued, “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  He disconnected and turned to the sisters. “That was the hospital, Orson was brought in unconscious not long ago. One of the security guards found him in the orchard when he wouldn’t answer his phone after numerous attempts to reach him. I’m listed as his emergency contact, so the hospital called me.” He turned the stove off. “I’m going to see him.”

  Kelly glanced at Kiara and she nodded at her sister. “Kiara and I are coming with you.”

  Evan nodded. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 2

  Orson

  Orson Kent’s first thought upon regaining consciences was that he hurt all over. The second was that his housekeeper, Gabby, had been right when she’d repeatedly told him he had no business trying to care for an entire orchard on his own and he’d more than likely kill himself before October.