The Studhorse Man

She smiled and stepped into his room. "I guess tonight's our last night."

"Guess so."

"Three times is the charm?"

"Yep."

"How do you know for sure?"

"It's just the way it's always been, for my father and all the other studhorse men in my family before him."

"And for you, right? The other women you've done this with, three times was all it took?"

Chance took a deep breath. "I've got somethin to tell you, somethin I should've said the first night before we started this."

He took Rebecca's hand and led her to the bed to sit beside him.

"I never wanted to be like my father," Chance said. "I never wanted to be a studhorse man. I left home when I was a teenager to join the rodeo and when my dad died a few years ago I didn't even go back for the funeral.

"My aunt handled all the arrangements, took care of the family home and settled his affairs. Not that there was much to settle, he didn't do much after the cancer came. And nowadays, with modern medicine, there ain't much call for a studhorse man.

"But my aunt found a letter addressed to him. She opened it and, after she'd read it, called me. She had this crazy notion I could help the woman who'd sent it, a woman who owned a horse ranch in Montana and was desperate for her oldest daughter to have a baby."

"Wait a second...my mom's letter?"

Chance nodded.

"Then, you mean..."

"You're the first. There's never been any other women."

She put her hand on her belly, dazed by his confession. "Then how do you know this will even work?!"

"I don't," Chance said, "but my aunt's convinced it will. She says I've got the gift, same as my father and his father before him."

Rebecca stood and swept her hand through her hair, staring at him in disbelief. "How could she know? How can she be sure?"

"Because of this." He leaned forward and took a contact lens from his eye. When he looked back up at her his left eye was now blue instead of brown.

"My father had the same mismatched eyes and so did his father before him. My aunt said there's only one of us every generation. She says it's the mark of a studhorse man, and she knew I was one the moment she first held me and looked into my eyes. She tells me this is my destiny. It's what I was born to do."

"But, you don't know..."

"Nope, and I would've said somethin earlier but my aunt honestly needs that money your mother sent. Without it, she'll lose the family home. My father was never known as a man who worried about his debts and me...well, let's just say bronco bustin don't pay like it should.

"I'm prayin you get the child you want, but you were right; I can't make no promises. So if you want me to go, I understand why. I'll leave tonight and you've got my word that your mother will get back every cent."

Rebecca sat on the bed beside him, her face in her hands. The butterflies in her belly had returned. She didn't know what she'd do if this didn't work. She didn't know how she could face Archie if he was right, and there was something wrong with her. But she did know one thing.

"I don't want you to go," she whispered.

Chance gently brushed a loose lock of hair back behind her ear. She turned toward him, staring at his strange, mismatched irises. "They're beautiful," she said, and wondered, if she had a son, if he'd have the same eyes as his father.

Chance laughed. "Without my contact I'm practically blind." He bent forward to put it back in. When he looked up at Rebecca both of his eyes were brown again.

He said, "So, do we finish this up or do you want me to cut out?"

"My mom told me about your birth mother," Rebecca said, "and how she wanted to give you away but your aunt wouldn't let her. Told me how she took you in and raised you as her own. Your aunt doesn't sound like a woman who makes a lot of mistakes and she says three times is the charm, right?"

"She does."

"Well, we've already gone this far. I guess someone has to be the first."

She stood and started to undress. Chance moved to help, his touch gentle as he helped her slide her dress off. All she had on underneath was a new pair of panties she'd picked up in Big Timber that afternoon, and she gently bit her lower lip as his fingers grazed across the silky fabric.

She turned toward him. His eyes lingered on her breasts. He brushed the back of his fingers against her erect nipple and his touch made her tremble. She pulled his towel away and caught her breath when she saw how stiff he already was.

He pushed her back on the bed and she shuddered in anticipation as he slid on top of her. He was completely naked, his lean, well-muscled body solid against her soft flesh. She reached between his legs and wrapped her fingers around his length, intoxicated by the feel of his hard, thick cock.

"Let me suck you again," she whispered.

He didn't answer. He was preoccupied by her breasts, teasing her nipples with his mouth as she tugged on his cock.

"Let me suck you," she whispered, almost pleading.

"I don't think so," he answered, his breath hot on her flesh as he brushed his lips against the soft skin of her shoulder and nuzzled her neck just below her ear.

Rebecca's eyes fluttered. His touch was driving her crazy. Her need to suck his cock was almost unbearable. "I need to get you ready," she gasped. "Just let me use my mouth for a few minutes."

Chance grinned as he pried her fingers free from his stiff length. "Don't worry, this will get me ready."

He hooked his fingers in her panties and Rebecca's heart skipped a beat as she lifted her hips and let him slide them off. Both of them were completely naked now. The blankets were all over the floor. Only one white sheet was beneath them.

Chance moved between her legs and Rebecca squirmed as he grazed his fingertips along the inside of her thighs, teasing the soft flesh. His mouth was only inches away. He kissed the inside of her hip and her back arched in anticipation. So close.

The tip of his tongue grazed against her and a moan escaped Rebecca. She couldn't remember the last time Archie had done this. Whenever she'd asked, he'd give her a look like she'd told him to scrub the bathtub.

Chance obviously had no such objection. His mouth was against her now, his strong hands keeping her legs apart as his tongue explored her sweet, tender flesh. Rebecca arched her back again, squirming against the sheets as his tongue parted her folds and found her clit, shyly hiding beneath.

He circled his tongue against her and then gave her a few gentle flicks. Rebecca gasped and slid her fingers into his hair, holding him tightly as she kept his mouth right where it needed to be.

Her heart was pounding in her breast. She felt like a young buckle bunny, naked in some rodeo rider's room after the show as he tried to break her. But Chance didn't need to get a rope on her; he already had her.

Rebecca pushed him away, lust in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She didn't answer. She pushed him onto his back and straddled him, his cock sticking straight up as she reached down and guided him between her legs. As soon as he was in position she lowered herself and an involuntary moan escaped her as his thick pole spread her wide. But she didn't stop. She kept going until he was all the way in. Then she slumped against him and pressed her mouth against his.

She slid her fingers through her hair as she kissed him hard, her lips crushed against his, her tongue inside his mouth. She could feel his cock pulsing like a heartbeat, completely inside her. She swiveled her hips, grinding her pussy against him. And then she broke the kiss with a gasp.

"Oh god, I'm sorry," she said, as if realizing for the first time what she was doing. "I forgot, you said we weren't supposed to kiss."

"Trust me, this won't be the first time I broke a rule." Chance rolled her over onto her back, his cock still buried inside her. And then he crushed his lips against hers.

Rebecca moaned into his mouth as his tongue toyed with hers. He arched his hips, fucking her with long, full strokes, and she wrapped her legs around him to make sure he didn't stop.

The bed groaned beneath their weight, the springs squeaking with a steady rhythm as the headboard banged against the wall. The ceiling fan circled above them, witnessing the whole thing, but neither of them cared.

They were lost in each other, his fingers in her hair and her lips against his ear. She murmured encouragement as he picked up the pace; her hands on his hips signaling him to go faster.

Chance groaned as he pumped in and out, her tight opening like a vice around his thick cock. Rebecca's sharp gasps became loud moans. She begged him to fuck her harder. She begged him to come. His face was a mask of concentration as he hammered his cock in and out of her. The bed sounded like it wanted to break.

"Oh fuuuuck," she groaned, as his cock drove her toward the edge. "Come for me. Come inside of me."

Chance nodded and squeezed his eyes shut, every muscle in his body taut as he focused on her. Rebecca's eyes went wide and she gripped his arms to hang on as he fucked her even harder. She could feel it coming, could feel his cock swelling, pulsing inside her.

Chance's eyes popped open and he crushed his mouth against hers. Rebecca's tongue met his, her fingers in his sweat-soaked hair as she held him close, hungry for his kiss.

He groaned and she felt him exploding him inside her. Rebecca's eyes fluttered as she came too, her pussy clenching his thick length as an orgasm shuddered through her.

He sat up, his chest heaving as he dragged his spent cock free. He wiped beads of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and opened the window to let the cool night air in.

Rebecca was spread-eagled on the bed, trying to catch her breath. A thick white dollop of his cum oozed from her tender pussy.

"Is that it?" she said. "Am I...?"

"Probably, but I imagine it'll be a few weeks before you know for sure."

He went to the bathroom and came back with a damp cloth to clean her up. When he was finished she climbed out of bed, still dizzy from what they'd just done. She pulled her panties back on and went to grab her dress. Then Chance reached out and took her hand.

"You don't have to leave," he said. "You can stay if you want -- just to talk."

Rebecca licked her lips and looked toward the door. "I'd like that," she said, and climbed back into bed beside him.

* * *

Rebecca's eyes fluttered open. It was dawn. She was still in Chance's bed, curled against him.

They'd talked until almost one in the morning. She'd asked him if he'd come back one day. When he answered maybe, she knew it meant never.

Other than her thin panties, neither of them had bothered dressing. She'd lain beside him, her body pressed against his, listening to him talk. The touch of her skin made him hard again. He half-jokingly asked her if she wanted to go a fourth time, just to make sure.

She smiled and said no. She was already sure. The butterflies in her belly were gone. She couldn't say how, but she knew she was pregnant. She had to be.

And she knew it wasn't Chance's child. It was hers. The baby was a gift, just like Chance had been when his mother had laid him in his aunt's outstretched arms; a gift to her from her studhorse man.

She crept out from beneath the sheets and dressed without a sound. Chance was sprawled across the bed, sleeping with one arm stretched across the space she'd just been. She wanted to see him before he left so she could thank him for everything he'd done, but there was someone else she needed to see first.

She snuck out the door and crept down the stairs. The morning was cool, the summer sun still low in the eastern sky. She needed to see Archie. She needed to let him know. But when she reached the stable she walked silently past the door where he slept. There was someone else she wanted to tell.

She found Athair in his stall, his eyes and ears alert. He'd known she was coming.

She glowed as she brushed her cheek against his and whispered in his ear, "I think I'm going to be a mom."

He whickered as if he understood and nuzzled her hair. She hugged him, pressing her face against his neck, and then she heard it. Like a wind blowing loose tack against a wall. Thump thump thump.

At first, she wasn't sure where it was coming from. But when she turned toward the sound she realized it was coming from the small room the man she thought she loved had decided to make his home. She reached out and turned the handle.

They didn't hear the door open. Archie was naked from the waist down, his jeans with the big rodeo belt buckle on the floor beside him. He was on top of her, his ass flexing as he thrust into her over and over. She was sprawled beneath him, her coltish legs spread wide as he spent his lust inside her. They both seemed to sense the chill from the open doorway at the same moment.

"Oh my god!" Alexa cried, as she desperately tried to push Archie off of her.

He stumbled off the bed, his half-hard cock still slick. He grabbed for his jeans and shouted, "Rebecca! Come back here!" But she was already gone.

Rebecca ignored them as they called behind her. She threw the stall door open and grabbed Athair's mane just above the withers as she clambered on top of him. She cried for him to ride and he bolted from the stables, nearly knocking Alexa over as she came running half-naked out of Archie's room.

The black and white dog with the mismatched eyes skittered out of the way as they barreled past, with Rebecca bent over Athair as he carried her bareback through the yard and galloped past the big house. They rode far out over the range, Archie's betrayal seeping through her like a poison as she wept into Athair's mane.

At first, she'd thought maybe he'd been trying to tip the scales, maybe he'd thought it was some form of compensation for his agreeing to let her spend three nights with Chance. But Rebecca knew as soon as she saw the look of fear in her sister's eyes that this wasn't something new; it had been going on for a long time.

She wasn't sure how long she rode or how far. She ignored the ghosts behind her, calling for her to come back. But then she heard another sound and realized in an instant what it was -- a motorcycle. He was going away.

Athair heard it too. His ears swiveled toward the throaty rumble rolling across the hills. Rebecca cried, "Ride, Athair, ride!"

The horse bolted across the plain, his hoofs pounding against the hard-packed earth as Rebecca clung desperately to his mane, bareback astride him. She could hear the motorcycle winding down, its drone disappearing into the distance as it took her studhorse man away.

The wind bit at Rebecca and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as she pushed her horse harder and harder. Athair thundered ahead, bloody flecks in the froth at his mouth, his frantic gasps for air a roar in her ears. The heat coming from him was like a furnace and his hide was lathered with sweat. She could feel his chest heaving, hear his blood pounding.

"Stop, Athair, stop!" Rebecca cried.

She leapt off his back and raced around to hold him. His entire body shuddered with fatigue. His heart hammered in his chest. And his eyes rolled, knowing he'd failed her. The studhorse man was gone.

"Oh, Athair," she cried, her voice the only sound left on the quiet of the prairie. "I'm so sorry."

She knew she'd pushed him too hard. She desperately looked around, knowing she had to cool him down. Thinking there might be a pond in the area, she led him toward a nearby rise. Athair spotted the small pool immediately and trotted toward it. But it wasn't the water that caught Rebecca's eye.

A small black shape crouched like a beast at the crossroads in the distance. A rider sat on top. Rebecca walked slowly down the hill, thinking he had to be a mirage, but by the time Athair reached the pond and tilted his head toward the water she was in a full run.

Chance climbed off his motorcycle and removed his helmet, watching as Rebecca ran through the grass and ducked under the fence. When she reached him she threw herself against him.

"I thought you were gone," she said, holding him just as tight as she'd held Athair.

He stroked her hair and kissed it. "I was, but I had to stop so I could try to talk myself out of it."

"Out of what?"

"Headin back for you."

She stared up at him, tears welled in her eyes. "You wanted to come back for me?"

He nodded. "I heard the commotion. Your mother told me what was goin on. I left right away, worried what might happen if I stayed."

"Why? What might happen?"

"I'd try to make you mine."

Her eyes went wide. She whispered, "You don't need to. I'm already yours."

"What about Archie?"

"What about him? He gave me up a long time ago. I know that now."

Chance brushed her hair back behind her ear. "You need to go back and talk to your family about this?"

"My family's right here," she said, and pressed her lips against his.

When she finally broke the kiss, he said, "What about him?"

She turned and saw Athair was now at the fence by the roadside, watching them.

She hurried toward him and hugged him, pressing her face against his neck. "I'm going away, Athair, but I'll be back because there's someone I'm going to want you to meet. You go home now, and don't forget that I love you."

The buckskin gelding whickered softly and nuzzled her hair with his nose. Then, as if he understood, he turned and headed riderless back up the hill in the direction of the ranch.

Rebecca headed back toward Chance, and smiled as he handed her a helmet from his saddlebag.

"You ready?" he asked.

"I better be. I've been waiting for this my whole life."

She climbed onto the back of the black motorcycle and wrapped her arms around him as he started it. The engine roared to life and Rebecca glanced back over her shoulder.

Athair was at the top of the hill, framed by the big blue Montana sky. She blew him a kiss. He dipped his head. And as the motorcycle slipped into gear and rolled forward, taking Rebecca and the studhorse man away, he turned and began the long walk back home.

* * *

Thanks for taking the time to read my story. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please don't forget to vote as this is a contest entry. And, of course, any comments or feedback are always appreciated! ~ Seanathon.