Chapter 7
Savannah rode home, reliving her ride on the horse. She had loved the feeling of being astride the mare, moving with her, something she had wanted desperately at one time in her life. It had been everything she had dreamed it could be, even though she had only walked during her first lesson. When she got to her grandmother's house, she was bubbling over with excitement, telling GG all about it. GG was thrilled to hear Savannah's account of her first ride. They talked over a glass of wine until Savannah was finally talked out.
"I'm going to go take a nice long bubble bath, Gran."
GG said, "Enjoy it. I'm going to make salads for dinner so we can eat whenever we feel like it."
Savannah filled her glass again and went up to run her bath. She sank into the hot water with a sigh of pure pleasure, relaxing and reliving the ride once again. Her mind drifted for a while as she soaked and sipped her wine. She thought back over her afternoon, chuckling at the memory of the look on Ben's face when she had rubbed down the little mare after the ride.
Savannah's eyes flew open wide and she sat bolt upright in the tub, bubbles cascading down over her shoulders and between her breasts.
"That son of a bitch! He tricked me into taking that lesson and I went out there and did everything he wanted me to! What was I thinking? He must be laughing his ass off!"
Savannah sat there, thinking hard, her eyes narrowed. After a long few minutes, she sank back into the fragrant bath.
"He thinks he's got me where he wants me. Well, two can play that game, and I'm much better at it than any cowboy who ever lived. You want a fight, Ben Conner? You don't know what you're in for. I'll wipe up the floor with you."
Savannah was still fuming, but she spent another half hour in the tub, her mind working busily, planning how to get the best of Ben. By the time she dried off, she was smiling wickedly. Ben Conner, she vowed, wouldn't know what hit him.
Savannah made her first trip to visit a new craftsman later that week. It was a one-day trip to a town in Ohio, and it went well. She came back with a sample of the sculptor's work, and her grandmother was pleased with it. GG was able to finish negotiating with the man through phone and email. It was a good sign for the arrangement she had made with Savannah.
On Saturday, Savannah got ready for her riding lesson with extra care. She was looking forward to putting her plan into motion. She knew deep down that she was looking forward to being on a horse again, but she refused to think about that.
When Savannah walked into the barn, Ben was still finishing up with the lesson before her. She studied him while he wasn't looking her way, sauntering away toward one of the stalls when he turned in her direction. Ben watched the seductive sway of her hips and swallowed hard; damn, she was gorgeous! When she turned in his direction, she smiled slowly, her full lips parted.
Ben tipped his hat at her, and she said demurely, "Hello, Ben."
"Savannah. Ready for your lesson?"
Savannah gave a low chuckle. "That's what I'm here for." She kept her eyes on his, and the tip of her tongue moistened her lips unconsciously.
While they saddled up her horse, Savannah struggled with the girth, and Ben stepped forward to help her. She turned and brushed her breast against his arm. Ben jumped back as though he'd been burned, and Savannah chuckled again.
"Oops, excuse me," she said without a bit of remorse.
Ben was sweating. "Got it?"
"No, I still don't have it right. Can you show me?"
Ben reached for the cinch strap, and she laid her hand over his.
"Oh, I see." Savannah pulled the strap snug and leaned back into him as she did it. "How's that?"
Ben began to have a sneaking suspicion that the woman was messing with him. "That's good. Sure you've got it tight enough?"
"Oh, it's tight." Savannah gave him a sultry smile.
In spite of himself, Ben's jeans were feeling a lot tighter. He snapped on the lunge line and Savannah led the mare into the arena. He held the horse, and Savannah gave him another sultry look over her shoulder as she stepped up to mount the horse. She put her foot in the stirrup and swung up smoothly. Before she could swing her leg over, the saddle slid sideways and Savannah landed on her butt in the sand. Ben let out a laugh before he reached out to help her up.
Savannah's face was flushed and her eyes were snapping. She slapped his hand away and got up on her own.
"Huh," Ben said. "I guess it wasn't tight enough after all."
"You bastard! You did that on purpose."
"Well, actually, you did it." Ben tightened the saddle. "Maybe you should have been concentrating on the horse and the lesson instead of coming on to the teacher."
"Coming on to—don't flatter yourself! I wouldn't come onto you if you were the last man on earth!"
"Maybe you better calm down a little before you get up on Reba. She doesn't deserve your temper tantrum."
Savannah gave him a long look and then turned her back on him, talking soothingly to the mare and then swinging smoothly up into the saddle. She went through her lesson with a bare minimum of conversation, and Ben let her take a good, long trot, figuring it would settle her down before she dismounted. She unsaddled Reba and rubbed her down, giving her a carrot when she put her in the stall. Then she turned to Ben.
"You listen to me, cowboy. If you want to pick a fight with someone, you ought to think twice about it. I'm a lot better at this game than you are, and you won't win."
Ben was losing patience. "Is that right?"
"That's right. I've had experience with all kinds of men, all over the world, and I never lose. You don't know what you're getting yourself into, so take my advice and don't try it."
Ben was stepping toward her. "I think what you are is a spoiled little rich girl with a snotty attitude. Someone needs to put you over their knee and blister that fine looking ass."
Savannah laughed incredulously. "And you think you're the one who could do that?"
He was still advancing on her. "Maybe so. My hand is actually itching a little right now."
He was so close now that they were nearly touching. Savannah looked at him coolly and he saw her quick movement a little too late. He didn't get the full force of her knee in his crotch, but he got enough of a blow to make him double over and gasp for breath. Savannah looked down at him, struggling for air.
"Like I said, don't mess with me, cowboy." She turned on her heel and stalked out of the barn, leaving Ben leaning against the wall and holding his aching balls.
His breathing ragged, Ben said out loud, "Snotty bitch. Damn, I'd really like to hate her."
Savannah walked into the house, glad to find her grandmother not at home. She felt a grim sense of satisfaction at having brought Ben Conner to his knees. She went to the kitchen for a glass of wine and took a beer out of the refrigerator instead then walked out onto the back deck and flopped into a chair, staring moodily out at the big back yard. She thought over the events at the barn and remembered Ben saying that someone ought to spank her. There was a long, low pull in her belly as she imagined Ben's strong, hard hands coming down on her bare bottom.