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Category: Erotica/Fetish Erotica/Romance
Description: The Cattleman's Ball is one of 10 short stories in the Her Cowboy's Way anthology from Black Velvet Seductions. Brandi just wants to stay home on this cold, dreary night, take a hot bath, and snuggle next to Colby. She isn't in a partying mood. But Colby insists they go to the annual Cattleman's Ball, won't change his mind no matter how tempting an offer she makes him. It takes some extra "incentive" to improve her attitude and agree to go. And she's curious about why he is so determined to go.
eBook Publisher: Black Velvet Seductions Publishing Company, 2010 2010
eBookwise Release Date: August 2012

Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [29 KB]
Words: 5243
Reading time: 14-20 min.

The Cattleman's Ball

It had been one of those cold, dreary late fall days. Gloomy. Brandi was in a sour mood. She just wanted to stay home tonight, vegetate in front of the TV with a big bowl of sugar free strawberry ice cream. She wanted to take a long, hot bath, and eventually she wanted to snuggle next to Colby. Intimately snuggle, very intimately. But they were supposed to go to the Cattleman's Club annual ball tonight. Normally she liked the ball, but tonight she wasn't in a partying mood. Maybe she had a cold coming on. Maybe she was PMSing. Whatever, she just had a serious case of the blahs.

Determined to try one more time to change Colby's mind about going, she strolled to his home office, where he was working on ranch business. He shut down his computer for the night and looked tiredly at her. She hoped that was a good sign for her purposes.

He blew out a weary sigh. "Yeah, I know. It's time to start getting ready."

She gave him her best sensual smile, even batted her eyelashes for more affect. "How about staying in tonight instead? Crawling into bed, sharing a big bowl of your favorite ice cream." She licked her lips, slowly. "We could do a little crawling over each other, a lot of very personal sharing. Maybe have some fun with chocolate syrup. Make that lite chocolate syrup. Sound interesting?"

"Tempting, damn tempting," he answered in a husky groan.

His dark eyes looked even darker, and she was certain she'd snared him.

She perked up and started to turn away. "Great! I'll go get the syrup."

She had barely moved when he burst her bubble of anticipation. "We'll have to put that deliciously naughty idea on hold, darlin'. We're going to the ball."

Darn it all! Her shoulders slumped as she faced him again. "But...ice cream...me, naked."

Regret flitted over his handsome face, shadowed with day-long beard stubble. He rubbed a hand over his chin as he sometimes did when frustrated. "You're killing me, Brandi, but we've got to go. All of our neighbors will be there. Meaning a lot of your clients, some of the ranch's clients, too."

He shoved back his chair to stand and shook his head when she would have protested. "Not up for discussion, darlin'. We're expected and we're going."

"Yes," she said on a sigh of resignation, hating that he was right. Several of her clients had called yesterday to tell her they were looking forward to seeing her and Colby at the ball. A couple of the neighbors had even called earlier today about it. She found all of the calls a bit odd, but had no idea why she felt that way.

While she mulled that over a second, Colby said, "I'm looking forward to seeing you in that new gown. Red, right? Didn't you say 'kind of slinky,' too?"

Heat warmed his eyes as she nodded agreement. Yes, she'd bought a new gown for tonight and it hadn't been cheap. Of course, she hadn't told him exactly how much she'd spent. Best for him not to know. Still, she could have worn the gown another time. But the pleasure in his eyes made her feel a bit better about going. And he looked darn good all spiffed up and wearing his best suit.

"Now, go change into your gown and put out my suit. I'll be up in a few minutes. Just need to check in with Thad one last time." He reached for his cell phone and waved her away.

Even as much she liked seeing her husband all dressed up, she still had trouble working up the enthusiasm for tonight. Definitely not like her. She liked parties, liked wearing new clothes. PMSing for sure, or just a bad case of the only-wantto-hibernate blues.

A half hour later Colby had talked to Thad about a problem with one of the horses and changed into his suit. Now, as he stood in front of the dresser tying his tie, frustration curled through him. His wife was trying his patience. They were going tonight, had to be there. She usually would be the first one dressed and all but dragging him out the door to parties like this. But tonight, when it was important that she be there, she'd decided to get all stay-at-homey. Not that he wasn't seriously tempted by a night with a naked Brandi and ice cream. Yeah, he could imagine all sorts of things he could do with some syrup.

He finished with the tie and frowned into the mirror. His cock was all primed and ready now that he'd started thinking about the syrup. If it wasn't for the surprise award his hot little wife would receive tonight, he'd forget this whole ball.

Aroused and annoyed, he glanced at the slinky red gown lying on the bed. He had a feeling he'd be sporting a hard-on most of the night, watching her in that dress, wanting to get her home and out of it. Focus! Get her in that dress and get the hell to the party

He blew out a breath and ground his teeth. She'd been in the bathroom all this time supposedly getting her make-up on. A woman didn't need that much make-up. Brandi sure didn't. She was stalling, big time, even if she'd agreed to go. It was time to deal with this little act of rebellion. It was time to give her some incentive to get a move on, a quick message straight to her sweet bottom. Something to make that bottom match her dress. Well, maybe not that red, just a bit pink.

With a glance at his watch that only served to ratchet up his blood pressure, Colby knocked on the bathroom door and then opened it. Brandi stood in bra, panties, garter belt and stockings in front of the vanity. Good Lord! She took his breath away. It was all he could do not to take her fast and furious right here in the bathroom. Focus, focus, focus! And not on your damn cock

"What do you want?" She met his gaze in the mirror, looked mutinous.

That spark of defiance broke the spell of fascination with her barely-covered body. "What the hell have you been doing all this time?"

She waved a mascara wand at him. "It takes time to get beautiful."

"You were beautiful to begin with, Brandi Lynn. You're stalling." He stepped straight to her. He'd had enough of this nonsense. People were expecting them at the ball. They needed to leave.

"Just a few more minutes." She watched him warily.

Catching her off guard, he put a hand to her back and bent her over the vanity cabinet. He didn't waste another second before he landed a sharp whack on her bottom. "Evidently you need some incentive to get ready a little faster."

"Colby!" she squawked, squirming. "I'm almost ready."

"You could have made the damn make-up from scratch and applied it by now." He gave her a half dozen brisk spanks. "You agreed to go; now you're playing some kind of game with me."

She looked at him in the mirror. "Is it really such a big deal if we don't go?"

Rock and a hard place, exactly where he was at the moment. She wanted a reason why it was so important to him that they attend the ball tonight, but he couldn't tell her. "It just is, okay? We're going."

"I'm not in the mood for making chit-chat or dancing or..."

"Can't you just accept that I want to go tonight? That I want you there with me?" Frustration thrummed through him. Because of it and the mulish look on her face, he smacked her bottom two more times, and then felt guilty about it. "Please, darlin'. I'll give you a night of strawberry loving another time. Promise."

She moved her bottom back and rubbed against the hard length he couldn't seem to calm down. The defiance disappeared from her expression, replaced by interest. She purred, "How about you give me another kind of incentive to finish getting ready?"

He held himself against her, torturing them both. His body ached to drop his pants, strip her down, and slam into her. No time for this! Damn, damn, damn.

He shifted away, breathing hard. "Like burning your sweet butt with the brush?" It was sitting on the vanity next to her folded arms.

"Not really what I had in mind." She reached back to wiggle her panties down and bent over again to thrust her bottom out at him. "Come on. Just a quickie."

Colby groaned. "You're really driving me nuts tonight, darlin'. I want to, but I damn sure can't. Not now."

Irritation replaced her come-hither smile, but she didn't move.

He picked up the brush, thumbed the bristled side. He didn't intend to use it, but she was pushing his buttons but good.

Their gazes met in the mirror. Her nostrils flared and a teasing smile slipped into place. "Bet you can't stop at just one," she challenged him.

"Lord a'mighty, Brandi Lynn, you're in a weird mood tonight." He gave her a crooked grin as she continued to watch him. Then he swatted her bottom already lightly pink from the brief spanking. It wasn't a hard swat, but enough to sting a bit.

She sucked in a breath. All he'd done was light the fire of her obvious arousal. She wiggled her ass at him. "Sure you don't want to..."

He swatted her two more times, a bit harder, and tossed the brush on the counter. "Of course I want to, but I'm not going to! And we don't' have time for more of this game, either." He tried to settle his heart beat, settle his raging hard-on. "If you want a real paddling later, though, I'll give you one."

"Thanks, but no thanks," she grumbled, and pulled her panties back into place as she straightened. Then she smiled at him. "Nice little burn you started. Not what I wanted, but okay."

Regretting what couldn't happen, he glanced at his watch again. Nope, definitely no time. "Five minutes, Brandi Lynn. Be ready in five minutes or I really will burn your butt before the party."