Shadows on the Prairie

"Oops, I think I got carried away" she said giggling as she put her fingers into her mouth, sucking on them.

She stood up and used her blue ribbon to tie her hair into a ponytail. "Wasn't I supposed to be takin' care of you?" She added. Standing up she slid the straps of her dress over her shoulders, exposing her large breasts as the garment hit the floor. She sat in the tub between Tucks legs and wrapped her hand around the shaft of his cock, working it with long strokes and gently rubbing the tip with her other hand.

As she leaned over to whisper in his ear, he felt her hard nipples rake over his chest. "Let me put you in my mouth." Tuck ached with anticipation as he had never felt a woman's mouth on his member. She began kissing his chest, applying gentle suction, and leaving small marks as she worked her way down his muscular body. The warm water was at a perfect level just allowing his erection to protrude out as he lay back in the metal tub.

Looking up at him she licked from his base, up the entirety of his shaft before taking him into her mouth. Tuck felt pleasure spreading through his body as he grew even harder. She expertly worked every inch, bobbing her head fervently as her tongue danced across the underside of his shaft. Tuck had never experienced anything like this and was in absolute ecstasy. A familiar feeling washed over him, and he felt his climax approaching.

Lucy looked up with a smirk and stopped abruptly. "How bout we hit the bedroom?" she said knowingly as she got out of the tub. She led him to a connected room with a double bed. "Lay down baby" she instructed before straddling Tuck. She reached for his manhood and began tracing small circles with it around her inner lips.

Lucy looked down at him with soft eyes. "Now Tuck, I know you've had a long cattle drive, but you done good. Now I want to make some time just for you. So just sit back and relax, let me take care of things." She lowered herself slowly, letting just the head of his penis slide into her. She rode him deliberately, taking him slightly further with each thrust. Tuck's excitement grew and he began to push back into her warmth.

"Now now Tuck." She chuckled "You're supposed be letting me handle things. Lay back and take some deep breathes, you're gonna want to enjoy this for as long as possible."

Tuck's heart was beating out of his chest, he took a deep inhalation and let out a long sigh. Sinking into the bed as his muscles relaxed. She continued to ride him with increasing intensity, eventually plunging down completely onto the base of his member. Each heavy breath further relinquished Tucks control of the situation. He looked up at her, dazzled by her beauty. The lantern light shimmering on her pale skin, her attractive face perfectly framed by a single strand of blond hair escaping from her ponytail, in that moment she was flawless.

She rode him with increasing vigor and said, "I can tell you're getting close baby."

Tuck nodded, gasping for air as she pleasured him.

Her bright blue eyes looked down lovingly at Tuck as she moaned. "I want you to cum inside of me."

She pushed down harder, filling herself with every inch of him as she pleaded, "Please cum in me baby, just let go."

Her words echoed through his head, forcing out every stray thought he had ever had. Nothing existed except for her. Every thrust brought him closer to complete surrender. Losing himself in the waves of pleasure that rolled over him, he felt the ultimate release.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The dull light of the full moon blistered through the window of Tuck's room as he lay reeling from a night of passion. Their faces were briefly illuminated as he struck a match to light the cigarette he had rolled for the pair.

"You are something else," said Tuck, taking a long drag from the cigarette before passing it to Lucy. "I don't know what it is you do, but you must be the best whore in town."

"And you won't be the last to say it" Lucy quipped as the dim glow of the cigarette smoldered between her fingers. "Sometimes we all need a break from the world" she added as her gaze drifted out the window.

"I didn't need a break" He said defensively "But it sure did feel nice. Long hours in the saddle take their toll, sometimes that feeling of being alone even follows you, like smoke from a campfire."

She interjected "I know a thing or two about riding horses, but it ain't never made me feel anything but free."

Tuck said "I used to love the solitude of riding my horse through the range, but as of late the wide-open spaces have seemed like a void tryna' pull me in. It's like the feelin' of looking off a cliff, but there's nothing to land on at the bottom, just the emptiness of time."

She chuckled, "When I was on a horse, there wasn't an empty space in the entire arena."

"What are you talkin' bout?" He asked.

"Before I became a woman of the night, I was a barrel racing champion" she said sheepishly.

"Like hell you were!" He laughed.

A brief grimace went unnoticed in the dark of the room. She took a deep breath to compose herself and said, "Anyways baby, what is it you were sayin' bout loneliness?"

"You aint getting off that easy honey, I got two horses outside and I want see whether or not you're full of shit." He joked.

Lucy took a long drag of the cigarette burning it down to the filter and smirked at Tucks challenge. "Let's see if you can keep up" she said flicking the butt into an old tin can.

The night air was crisp as they stepped out into the street and the full moon cast long shadows across the ground. As they neared the coral the silhouettes of Tucks horses slowly emerged. Lucy was immediately drawn to the black horse, approaching it cautiously with an outstretched hand. The animal sensed her gentle energy and nuzzled into her. She ran her fingers through the animal's dark mane, its eyes reflecting in the moonlight. "There's something about horses" she said, "They're a lot more loving than most the people I've met in this world."

"Shit, not that one" He quipped as Lucy mounted the jet black horse whose white feet were already scraping the sand in anticipation. Tuck mounted his new blonde steed, whose coat shimmered a ghostly platinum hue in the moonlight. The horse had been fitted with his best saddle on which tucks dark leather saddle bags containing most of his belongings were fixed.

The night enveloped them as they rode side by side into the high plains of Wyoming. The moonlight seemed to electrify the rolling hills of tall grass, lending them a dim otherworldly neon hue. The rhythmic sounds of beating hoofs against the dirt road began to harmonize with the crickets and faint cries of coyotes echoing in the distance.

As they approached a small cluster of trees a mischievous light twinkled in Lucy's eyes, she spurred her horse, who in turn responded with a burst of energy. Tuck watched in amazement, as Lucy darted between the trees. She leaned expertly into each turn, perfectly timing the shifting of her weight with the horse's powerful strides. Weaving between each trunk she seemed to dance with the night.

With the exhilaration of Lucy's impromptu barrel race still hanging in the air they lead their horses to a serene meadow. Tuck spread out his large bedroll, giving them a place to recover beneath the canvas of stars above them. The smells of pine sap and sweetgrass perfumed the moist air as they sat nestled atop the blanket. The milky way sprawled out above them beaming through the trees that surrounded the meadow.

"You weren't kidding about being the champ" Tuck said eyes shining with admiration.

"Theres a lot people don't know about me" she said laying onto her back, "My life wasn't always like this" she said looking into the stars as her memories danced across the sky. " In fact, I was married once."

Tuck listened intently shifting his gaze towards her.

"He was a good man, but life had its way with us." She said as her voice heavy with loss. "One day he got sick after a ride, his hands and feet became blistered. Soon it covered his whole body."

Her voice cracked "He laid in bed languishing for days before the disease took him, and everything else. My home, my security, my future, my everything disappeared. Ever since that day I've been lost. When the bank took the house, the only choice I had was the saloon."

Tuck leaned in "I'm so sorry" He replied.

She nodded acknowledging his concern "When I first stepped into that saloon it was gonna' be temporary, a means to an end. I did anything I could to earn money and tucked away every dollar I made. I hated that awful place, and the terrible man who runs it, but it was a necessary evil." She replied.

"At first, I barely made enough to pay Buck." Her voice tinged with vulnerability. "It was survival, plain and simple. I realized that the only way to make money was to provide a better service."

"What are you getting' at?" asked Tuck.

She gently shook her head, "Every cowboy who walks through that door is dreaming of something. Some are running from themselves, and others are chasing illusions of past love and triumph. I learned to become a temporary salve to satisfy their needs. By re-imagining myself for each man I became a mirage, allowing a customer to see in me exactly what he wanted.

Tucks brow furrowed creating a perplexed expression, "And how far did that get you?"

"Believe it or not it took me right to the top." Said Lucy with a hint of pride in her voice. "I became the best woman in that damn saloon. I was everyone's type, and making a man feel complete lined my pockets handsomely."

"It was hard pretending to be so many different people, but my goal of escapin' kept me grounded. Eventually I had enough money, but when Buck found out about my plan to leave, let's just say things weren't as simple as packin' my bags." Lucy said ominously as a tear welled up in her eye.

With bitterness straining her voice she continued to reveal her past, "First, he promised me the world, a bigger room, better food, my pick of customers. He'd do anything to keep his golden goose. When that didn't work, he busted me up and took every hard earned dollar I had leaving me with nothing but bruises and broken dreams." One tear slowly dripped from her bright blue eye and streamed down her cheek.

Tuck's face softened with understanding, he took off his jacket and gently draped it over her shoulders. The warmth of the fabric provided her with a tangible embrace.

His voice was blended with a mixture of concern and empathy. "Lucy, I can't understand the depth of what you've been through. But I want you to know I see you. Behind the smoke and mirrors you've had to put up, the real you is beautiful. The fire in your eyes and your wild spirit are unbreakable."

Lucy met his gaze, eyes overflowing with vulnerability. "Tuck you're the first person that's looked at me and seen more than what goes on in that damn saloon, that means more to me than you know."

"You ain't just the sum of all the scars and darkness you seen." He said with admiration. "Everything that has happened to you in the last few years does not diminish who you are."

A smile slowly formed on her lips, delicate like the fragile bloom of a cactus flower on a desert night. "It's been a long time since someone has spoken to me this way."

He reached out his hand, delicately caressing her fingers in his strong grip.

As he looked into her misty blue eyes he felt his face grow flush. " I can't change what happened, but I can be here for you Lucy. You've opened me up in ways I coulda never imagined. You don't have to be alone anymore; I want to take care of you."

Gazing at Lucy, Tuck peeled away the layers of illusion and truly saw her for the first time. Not as an ethereal muse or a symbol of escape, but a profoundly human presence. A mosaic of aspirations and desires pieced together by the unforgiving hands of life. It wasn't the absence of flaws that defined Lucy's beauty, but their presence. Tuck marveled at the genuine imperfections that made her undeniably real. Their shared vulnerability allowed a bridge to be built connecting two imperfect worlds, inviting them to revel in the beauty of being flawed together.

Lucy looked longingly at Tuck as she pulled a small flask from her coat and passed it to him with a trembling hand. He took a long drink, choking down the bitter liquor. As he wiped the traces of alcohol from his lips he saw the corners of Lucy's mouth curl into a flirtatious smile.

She sat in his lap and softly whispered in his ear, "Why don't you just worry about taking care of me tonight, Cowboy."

Without warning, Tuck leaned forward and met her lips with a deep kiss.

She would never kiss a client. But tonight was different, Tuck was a mirror, and she was finally able to see her own reflection. The woman she saw scared and excited her at once. She knew she was safe, and this would be her last customer.

Dissociation had become habitual, a survival mechanism that allowed her to withstand the difficulties of her work. But in this moment, something shifted, she leaned into him and savored the feeling of her lips pressed against his.

She felt a startling sense of presence. Each sensation, every nuance of their kiss further anchored her into this moment. She let her lips part slightly, allowing his tongue to slip inside. She relished the sensation of their shared breath and the heat radiating from two warm bodies pressed together.

In a moment that defied her habitual detachment, she allowed herself to be whisked away by the sensations she was experiencing and be vulnerable enough to experience pleasure.

She guided Tuck's head to the nape of her neck. He kissed her gently allowing his essence to linger on her skin. A jolt of pleasure interspersed with pain filled her as he gently nibbled above her collarbone. Pushing down further she directed Tuck to her left breast, feeling her entire body quiver as his tongue teased her. Her breath quickened as his lips trailed down her body, careful not to miss an inch of her creamy skin. She guided his head between her legs panting with anticipation as she felt his warm breath on her entrance. His tongue slowly traced the outline of her labia, gently coating each part of her lips before massaging her clit.

Her legs writhed in pleasure, she felt his large hands holding them down as he gently sucked her clit between his lips, rolling her bud around his tongue.

"Don't stop!" Lucy moaned, feeling a static building up insider of her. A twinge of guilt approached the forefront of her mind, but she pushed it away, refusing to disconnect from her pleasure.

His tongue was lightning pouring electricity through her body. His energy filled every part of her, pushing her over the edge and making her legs buckle. Her orgasm rolled through her, vibrating every cell in her body in perfect resonance.

Tuck looked down proudly as he prepared to enter her wetness. He slowly parted the lips of her pussy with his manhood and began to thrust into her.

Gazing upon her face he noticed a single tear on her cheek.

"Its okay Tuck" Lucy said softly, "please just keep going."

Tuck lost himself in their shared passion and the world around him seemed to fade. His head was spinning with desire and Lucy was the single occupant of his mind.

He let out a large sigh, increasing his pace and driving deeper into her. He knew he was getting close. She grabbed his thighs, pulling him in and grinding her hips down onto him. The feeling of her walls clenching around his girth pushed him over the edge causing him to finish inside of her.

He immediately collapsed onto her. His senses dulled as he heard her mutter "I'm sorry."

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Blistering rays of the sun beat through Tuck's heavy eyelids. Creaking open his bloodshot eyes, the blinding light of day poured through his constricted pupils. The noon-day sun that rose above the treetops was briefly eclipsed by a circling vulture hovering high in the sky above him. Letting out a confused grunt he sat up straight, his head darted around as he desperately searched for whomever was responsible for the pounding feeling in his head. He cried out for Lucy and was met with an agonizing silence.

As the crushing weight of betrayal bore down on him, he took a deep breath and began to compose himself. He was on his blanket in the middle of the field with his belt still undone. Realizing what had happened he searched for his tied up horses, anticipating a brutal trek back to town. He saw only a single horse, curiously his saddle bag remained mounted to his steed. Rummaging through his belongings he found a note and a half empty billfold.

Hastily scrawled in pencil the note read:

Dear Tuck,

I'm sorry it had to happen like this. Our night together was special, and I'll never forget your kindness.

The way you saw me as more than just a shadow in the night gave me hope that I could rediscover the girl I once was. Unfortunately, you also gave me the courage to go and do this awful, selfish thing.

You took a few good gulps of laudanum from my flask and by the time you read this I'll have boarded the train and left town for good. I left your favorite horse and enough money to make it back to Texas.

You're a good man Tuck, but I don't need someone to take care of me. I need to start over and have space to mend a soul that's been worn thin.

I hope you understand. I hope one day you forget my name. Learn to let go of the reigns and in the freedom of surrender you'll find the intimacy you've been looking for. You deserve the world Tuck, and I wish I was the one who could give it to you.

Love,

-Lucy