Lily Chilman slid off her horse and led the graceful, black Arabian into the barn. Since she graduated from Harcroft Prep a month before, Lily had plenty of time to ride over the summer before heading off to college. With her parents in Europe, it was the perfect diversion during the day, and Lily loved to ride. She had begun horseback riding lessons when she was eight, and her passion for riding had only intensified. Lily was never one for competition, but since Chilman Farms was only a ten minute drive from home she spent as much time as she could with the horses.

Robert Chilman, a real estate magnate and entrepreneur, had amassed a fortune by the time he was thirty-five. He spent a few years as a playboy before settling down - albeit half-heartedly - with Lily's mother, Camille, a former model from Australia. It was from her mother that Lily got her natural, light blond hair and hazel eyes. Her hair was rarely cut, so it nearly reached her bottom and hung in loose, beachy waves. While her mother was 5'9" and rail-thin, Lily was 5'7" and toned from riding and participating in sports at school. She had never been able to identify a trait inherited from her father. Everyone else thought it was obvious - Lily clearly had her father's superiority complex.

Clasping the reigns, she strode down the aisle between the stalls. Her temper flared a little - where were all the stable hands? Never once had Lily saddled, unsaddled, or groomed her own horse. It was simply unnecessary when her father paid people to do it. Impatient, she stopped halfway to the opposite end of the barn.

"Hello?" she called out, exasperation apparent in her voice. When no one appeared instantaneously, she screamed louder. "Where are all the dumb, fucking farmhands?" she whispered under her breath. She had no intention of leading the horse one step further until someone came to take care of him.

In the tack room at the end of the barn, Casey Rhodes was almost finished oiling one of Lily's many saddles. He had heard her first, whiny cry and hadn't budged an inch. Great, Super Bitch is here, he thought to himself. It was getting late. The other hands had left for the day and the manager was in his house, a few hundred yards away. Casey was the only one within earshot. This was one of many reasons why he was beginning to question the decision to take the job at Chilman Farms - after all, half the family ranch in Montana was his. When his brother finally got around to buying him out, he certainly wouldn't be oiling uppity little Miss Chilman's extra saddles anymore.

He gave the leather one more rub, and it crossed his mind that Lily had once straddled that very spot. She was undeniably sexy with her long blond hair, firm ass, and what Casey guessed were 34C breasts. But that attitude was fucking unbearable. He tossed the sponge into the bucket, set his jaw, and marched out into the barn.

Lily straightened up immediately when she recognized the new farmhand. "Do you work here?" she asked snidely. She knew very well that Casey Rhodes had been working at the barn for two full weeks now. She had caught him eyeing her frequently, and that wasn't the only reason why he intimidated her - and turned her on. He was physically imposing at a muscled 6'3", but his silence and emotionless face were just as striking. He was dangerous. And Lily liked it.

He stared her down for a moment, rubbing his oil-stained hands on his already grubby t-shirt. When he answered his deep voice was firm and steady. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do."

"Then untack my horse. Now. I wasn't aware that my father employed deaf farmhands. Didn't you hear me calling?" she spat.

"I did." Casey sauntered towards her. "But only a snobby little bitch like you would expect me to jump at your beck and call." Did I just say that? He thought. Insulting the big man's daughter was never a good idea. But two weeks of irritation - and lust - was about to bubble over.

"Bastard!" she squealed.

He smirked a little, liking her feisty reaction. "Now, why don't we teach you a little bit about how to take care of the horses you love so much?" He closed the distance between them before Lily could utter a word. Snatching the reigns, he harnessed and clipped the horse for grooming and handed her a brush. Casey moved close to her and pulled the saddle and pad off with ease, the muscles in his arms rippling. Lily tried, and failed, to avert her eyes. Just to have something to do, she began to brush the horse.

"Not so hard, huh?" he prodded. He'd won the battle, and Lily knew it. The war, however, could still be hers.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? You're almost thirty and you're paid to clean up horse-shit. I told you to groom my horse, so do it!" Her face flushed a deep pink and she panted after her outburst, her lips slightly parted. Casey's eyes had darkened as she screamed, and his face looked hard as stone. He didn't move, didn't speak. The rhythmic rise and fall of his chest was the only indication he wasn't a life-like statue.

His silent defiance pushed her over the edge and she hurled the brush at him as hard as she could. "I said do it," Lily yelled.

Before the brush hit the ground - far from its intended target - Casey took two lunging steps toward her. She backed up until she was pressed against the raw wood of a horse stall. Her quick movement had preserved less than an inch of space between her heaving tits and his chest. Casey's arms remained at his side, but the restraint clearly took a lot of effort. Lily refused to surrender, despite his aggression, and glared up at him. Something in his eyes scared her, and for the first time she realized that there was no one else around. What was he going to do to her? Whatever it was, she realized she was asking for it.

"And I told you I'm not at your beck and call," he said tersely.

Without thinking Lily raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. Casey's cheek reddened where her palm had made contact. She gasped, surprised at her own action. Casey inhaled sharply and his eyes flashed. In an instant, he had taken both her wrists in one hand and pulled them roughly up above her head. It was only then that Lily noticed the moisture that was beginning to collect between her thighs.

"Apologize," Casey demanded.

"Fuck you!" Lily said slowly and deliberately.

Casey growled a little bit, low and deep in his throat. "Mmm, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea." He closed the last inch of space between their bodies until he could feel her nipples hard against his chest. She was still staring up at him, and he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers forcefully. Lily pushed against his massive shoulders as he kissed her, but she couldn't resist any longer. She opened her mouth and his tongue immediately sought hers out. As soon as she moaned, he stopped and pulled back, one hand still holding her arms above her head.

Lily regained composure for a moment. "You wouldn't dare fuck me."

"Oh, wouldn't I?" he smirked. "Funny thing is, I kind of get the idea you want me to fuck you."

He could see the fear in her eyes; saw that she knew that he knew the truth. Still, she tried to resist. "No, you wouldn't dare. You're disgusting, you stink. And I absolutely refuse to be fucked in a barn."

His chuckle gave her butterflies. "Does that mean you'd like to be fucked elsewhere?" Before she could answer he slung her over his shoulder and carried her out of the barn.

"Give me your keys," he demanded gruffly. Wordlessly, she fished them out of the pocket of her riding breeches. Her Mercedes SUV chirped when Casey unlocked it. He threw Lily into the passenger seat and slammed the door. When he climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine, Lily finally spoke.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked a tremor in her voice. The luxury car bumped down the gravel road, faster than Lily would ever have dared to drive.

"Shut up," Casey said. "You'll see soon enough. In the meantime, I have a job for you."