Author note:
I know it's been a while. Life and work are demanding my full attention. I hope a few of you are still reading and that you enjoy this chapter.
CH 118-Cowboys and Cowgirls
Clay pulled into the parking lot at the local strip center and found a spot. Emma hopped out and came around the back to meet him. Linking her hand with his she guided him up to the end store front that he could have sworn used to be one of those paint your own ceramics places. Now the windows were covered by black-out paper except for one bright orange and green sign that declared it to be the seasonal home of a Halloween shop. He stepped up to open the door for her and followed her inside.
The inside looked to be as hastily thrown together as the outside. The floors were still beat up tile that was now littered with rickety metal racks. Foam board signs hung from the ceiling indicating the sections of the store. Emma wove her way through the maze with Clay trailing behind. She stopped underneath the sign that read, "Couples," and turned to him.
"I'll look on these and you check out those two over there," she waved her hand indicated the racks to his left. "Let me know if you find anything you like."
With that she dove into the hangers and left him to do the same. He smiled at her enthusiasm and turned to do his part.
When Mikayla invited them to a Halloween party, Emma was thrilled. She loved spending time with her friend and would miss seeing her at the Day Care when she started student teaching later this fall. A costume party wasn't really his thing, but he knew Emma wanted to attend and he easily agreed to go with her. They got to do so few "normal couple things" together. Of course, they went on dates, out to movies and dinner together. But if they hung out with anyone else, it was usually her family, or Bravo. So, heading to this party as a couple was somewhat of a novelty for them. He also knew that although she got offers, she didn't go to parties and other usual college activities. Preferring instead to spend their precious time together alone, just the two of them. She said she didn't care, and Clay knew that that wasn't her scene. But he didn't want her to miss out entirely on those experiences.
He sifted through the plastic covered costumes not seeing anything that caught his eye. Many of the choices were pretty cliché. They even had one of those costumes where someone was the front of a cow, and the other person was the back. He held up the black and white pants and shook his head. There was no way he was going to walk around in those suspender pants with plastic udders sticking out from his crotch. He glanced over and saw Emma holding up a package containing a couple superhero costumes. Although the idea of Emma's curves in a Wonder Woman outfit appealed to him, he had no desire to pull on the spandex tights and briefs of the Man of Steel.
The search continued until Emma called his name.
"What about this?"
She held up a brown, suede looking dress with no sleeves and a short skirt that ended in a fringe. She flipped it around and he could see red lacing that cinched up the back.
"We could be a cowgirl and cowboy. I know I have a hat and boots that Sonny got me a few years ago. You could wear jeans and your boots. And I'm sure Sonny would lend you one of his hats."
Clay warmed to the idea as he realized he would mostly be wearing his own clothes. Seeing his smile, Emma grabbed his hand and took him over to the shelves near the wall that held the accessories. By the time they left she had talked him into a fake gun-belt and plastic spurs. She tried to get him to get some chaps too, thinking how good his ass would look with those on. But no matter how hard she tried he wouldn't budge on that one.
The party was still a week away, and there was always the chance that Clay would get spun up and not be able to make it. He made Emma promise that if he did, she would still go and have a good time. Emma went down to their storage unit and dug around until she found her hat and boots. She also reminded Clay to ask Sonny for a hat. The Texan did give him some crap about "playing cowboy" but still handed over one of his prize Stetsons to complete his ensemble.
Friday came and thankfully, Bravo wasn't called in. After a simple dinner, the two went to get changed. Clay got into his jeans and a light chambray shirt then put on his boots and hat. Then, feeling rather silly, slipped on the gun belt and fixed the spurs to his boots. He was standing in front of the mirror above their dresser, trying to observe the final product when Emma emerged from the bathroom.
"Hey there, cowboy."
He could see her reflection over his shoulder and his eye widened. The dress fit her like a glove. The lacing cinched her in, pressing her full breasts up, showing a tantalizing amount of cleavage. The fringe of the skirt teased her smooth thighs. Clay's eyes ran the rest of the way down her lithe legs to her dark cinnamon boots. Sweeping his gaze back up to her face, he noticed the red bandana tied around her neck and how she'd gathered her locks into two low ponytails, each finished with a red bow. She flicked the brim of her hat, tipping it slightly and rested her hands on her hips.
"What do you think?"
"Em…I-I think I'm gonna need to strap on my side arm to keep the cattle rustlers away from you tonight."
He turned as he spoke and gathered her into his arms.
"Not to worry. If anybody gets too handsy, I can always tie them up."
She patted the lasso hanging from a loop at her waist.
"I'd rather tie you up," he growled into her ear before nibbling at her neck.
Her eyes fluttered closed as she momentarily gave in to the feel of Clay's lips skating over her skin. She knew that if she didn't stop him, they would never make it out of the bedroom. Pressing gently against his chest she stepped back and took a cleansing breath.
"We need to get going."
He knew she was right and went to grab his keys.
They drove to the apartment complex where Mikayla lived and pulled up to the community center. She and her roommates reserved the building and its outdoor space for their party. They followed the path lined with jack-o-lanterns up to the front door. Not waiting for an invite, Clay opened the door and they stepped inside. The décor was wonderful. They could see Mikayla had added her artistic flair to the room. Twinkling orange lights were draped everywhere and faux spider webs decorated doorways and window frames. As they were taking in the scene their friend emerged from the kitchen.
"Guys! Hey! You made it."
"Yep. We're here."
The girls hugged around the tub of beers Mikayla was holding.
"And Clay…I'm happy you're in town to join us."
"Me too," he responded as he bent to give her a kiss on the cheek and took the heavy plastic container from her grasp. "Where do you want this?"
"Over on that table would be perfect. Thanks."
Mikayla looked over at Clay putting the drinks in the middle of the table she'd indicated.
"You know, I've been carrying stuff around for a while and he's the first person to offer help. You've got a good one there, Emma."
"I know it," she beamed.
"And he makes a damn hot looking cowboy too!"
The girls were laughing when Clay rejoined them.
"What's up?"
"Nothing, nothing. I was just telling Emma how great you guys look. I love the costumes."
Clay looked at each of them in turn. He was pretty sure that their conversation included more than just their outfits. But he let it go.
"Listen, I have to go mingle. You guys grab a drink, have some food…we have games outside. Have fun! I'll find you later."
Emma grabbed a hard seltzer and Clay a beer. There were a few people inside, around the food, but most were out back. They went out through the sliding doors to see the activities. A small party was playing cornhole out on the grass, another group was dancing on the patio, but most were gathered around a couple tables to their left. She looked to Clay.
"Wanna go see what's going on?"
"Sure."
He guided her through the crowd with his hand on her lower back. When they were close enough, they could see a beer pong table and a tub of water set up with 'bobbing for shots.' The commotion and drinking games reminded Clay they were definitely at a college party. As he scanned the revelers, he realized he was mostly likely the oldest person there. It was Mikayla's turn to bob for a mini bottle of tequila when someone yelled out for a fourth to join a game of cornhole. Clay looked to Emma.
"Go ahead and join if you want. I'm going to hang with Kayla a while."
Dropping quick kiss on her lips, he went to join the match. He introduced himself to the guys, sat down his beer and picked up a set of bean bags. He was worried he wouldn't have anything in common with the other players. But thankfully, the conversation centered around the early NHL season and the MLB playoffs.
Clay focused on the game while Emma enjoyed watching her friend dunk her face in the cold water in hopes of snagging one of the tiny floating bottles of alcohol. At the end of her allotted time, Mikayla came up empty, but laughing. Before Emma could even think, Mikayla grabbed her and pulled her over in front of the table.
"Your turn, Em!"
"B-but…I…I"
"No excuses Hayes."
"Fine, here."
She passed Mikayla her hat and can of seltzer and pulled her ponytails back, preparing to submerge her face in search of an elusive bottle. After a brief countdown, she was up to her ears in freezing water.
Clay was paying little attention to the antics until he heard a loud squeal.
"Go Em! Go! You've almost got it."
When he heard his girlfriend's name, he looked over and saw Emma, bent over the metal drum, chasing her quarry. He smiled at the sight, happy she was letting loose and having fun. The smile left his face however, when he noticed an onlooker, dressed as Captain America, overly interested in Emma's figure. Even from where he was, he could see the guy eyeing her ass and chest.
He turned his attention back to the game, with the occasional glance back at Emma. It appeared she was unsuccessful in snagging any booze. But she laughed as she stood up, face dripping. Just as he was about to make his next toss, he saw Captain America grab a towel from the pile and sidle up to Emma, offering it up to dry her face and hair. Emma smiled politely and accepted the cloth. As she pressed it to her face, Clay watched her admirer step a shade closer and try to get a better view down her dress. He knew he had no reason to be jealous. But seeing someone eye his girl like that did get him a little riled. He knew Emma could take care of herself and rebuff any unwanted advances.
Finally, the game was over, he and his partner besting their opponents. He turned down the offer for another match and went to find Emma. As he neared her spot, he could see the wanna-be superhero still hovering around, trying to pique her interest. He apparently asked Emma to dance. Clay saw her smile and shake her head, gesturing in his general direction. Finally, he got near enough to hear the conversation.
"Do you go to VCU? I haven't seen you around."
"Uh, no. I study Music Therapy at Wesleyan."
"Cool. Is that where your boyfriend goes too?"
"No. No," she chuckled.
"Oh, so…what does he…"
Emma turned, a little annoyed that this guy thought she was lying about having a boyfriend and wasn't taking the hint. When she saw Clay just over her pest's shoulder her face broke into a relieved grin. Emma started to respond, but Clay answered for himself.
"I'm in the Navy. Hey Babe."
He reached his hand out to Emma and she went to his side. The guy's eyes almost bugged out of his head at the sight of him.
"Hey. I'm Clay. And you are?"
"Joel. I'm Joel."
Clay stuck out his hand and Joel took it. As they shook, Clay could see that his initial assessment was correct. College boy had a weak, clammy grip, and a limp noodle arm. Clearly any muscle definition visible was solely courtesy of the padding in his costume.
"Well, ahem…Emma, it was nice to meet you. I-I uh, I'm gonna go find…uh get a drink."
As he turned tail, Clay couldn't help but be a little smug. Emma laughed in relief.
"Whew. Thanks for that. I wasn't sure I was ever going to get rid of him."
"He did seem…persistent. Not that I can blame him."
Emma stood facing him and linked both of her hands with his. Then tipping up on her toes, she pressed her lips to his. After their brief kiss, he released her hands and wrapped his arms around her.
"What do you want to do now?"
Before he could answer, Mikayla cut in.
"All right you two. That's enough of that."
They separated and all three laughed.
"Here, Em. You left your hat."
"Thanks, I was trying to…"
"I saw. Sorry about that."
"No worries."
"Now, I'm stealing your girl, Spenser."
"Wha…"
Mikayla drug her over to the patio and nodded to her roommate to change up the music. Soon Walker Hayes was blaring out. Giggling, both took their positions as others cleared the space. They started to dance in synch, all their movements timed perfectly with each other. They made it through the first chorus before others joined them. Clay pulled out his phone and followed Emma. At the end of the song everyone on the makeshift dance floor turned and applauded Emma and Mikayla. Both laughed and mock bowed to their audience. They were both still laughing when Clay joined them.
"Uh, where'd you learn that Em?"
"Tik Tok."
"What?"
"You'll have to excuse him. He's not on social media."
"Well, I guess you'll have to have Emma teach you then."
"I think I'll leave that kind of dancing to you two," he offered.
They both enjoyed the rest of their evening. They ate, drank, and played more cornhole. They ended up on opposite sides. Her with Mikayla and Clay with one of her friend's roommates. This time it was Clay eyeing her as she bent to toss her bean bags. The lure of her full breasts hidden just below the low neckline was irresistible. It was that distraction that he blamed for his team's loss once the game was over.
"We would have won if you weren't cheating."
"Uh! I didn't cheat."
"Well, you distracted me then. Leaning way over on purpose and turning around to bend over and pick up your bags right when it was my turn."
"Hey, it's not my fault if you can't resist."
She strutted away from him, but he caught her around the waist and pulled her back. His large hands almost spanned her waist as he held her. She squirmed, laughing, trying to get away. Clay looked down at her in front of him. Her skin was flushed and her breasts heaving with mirth.
"You're right, Baby. I can never resist you."
He pulled her tighter against him and she could feel his body's response to her.
"Clay," she managed. Her voice husky with arousal. "Take me home."
They quickly found Mikayla and thanked her for inviting them. She was about to ask them to stay when she caught the look of raw hunger in Clay's eyes. She changed her mind and bid them goodbye, hugging Emma and shaking her head as the two hurried out to the truck.
"I had a good time. Thanks for coming with me. I know that getting dressed up isn't your favorite."
"I enjoyed it too. And the costume wasn't too bad."
"It's a good look for you. You make a very sexy cowboy."
"Not half as sexy as you look in that."
They made it home and up to the apartment. Emma felt guilty about being happy that Koda was with Brock this weekend. Their friend was going camping and asked for the pup to go along as company for Cerberus. But that meant they had the whole place to themselves and didn't have to worry about taking him on his nightly walk.
Once the door was shut behind them, Clay took off his hat and tossed it on the table and Emma followed suit. He closed the small distance between them traced his fingertips lightly down her arm from her shoulder to her hand and back as he spoke.
"You really do look so hot in this, Baby."
Gooseflesh erupted all over her body at his touch and the tone of his voice. Her lips parted slightly as a small, breathy moan emerged. Clay's eyes flashed with heat. He curled his hand around under her hair and pulled her up against him as he claimed her mouth. Emma's arms went around him, and her hands traveled up his back seeking purchase, finally clutching handfuls of his shirt.
As their lips grasped at each other, they stumbled over towards the chair. Clay felt the seat against the back of his legs. At that moment, Emma released him and pushed on his chest with enough force to propel him back onto the cushion. She immediately straddled his lap and leaned in to find his lips again. Her aggressive move aroused him even more.
"Em," he gasped as she nibbled at his lips.
Sitting up and griding her core against him she licked her lips and looked straight into his eyes.
"You know what they say…save a horse, ride a cowboy."
Her lustful smirk was completely enticing. He let his hands drift down and stroked up her thighs, under the fringe of her skirt to cradle her ass and answered.
"I'm all yours."
She scrambled to undo the buttons on his shirt. Her hands smoothed over his abs and pecs, pushing the away the cotton material blocking her access. She couldn't get enough of how his smooth skin pulled taut over each muscle. She leaned in, applying nipping kisses to each new inch of skin she uncovered. He hissed at the dual sensations of pleasure and pain. He didn't think he could want her more, but as she continued to take charge, his need for her grew.
Her mouth moved back up his body until her lips pressed kisses against his neck. Next, she sucked his ear lobe into her mouth and gently tweaked it between her teeth. Clay's hips popped and he simultaneously tightened his grip on her ass, pressing harder against her core.
He wanted to let her remain in control, but he could no longer wait to touch her, to feel and taste her velvety skin. He tugged at the cinching on the back of her dress until it loosened. Then, sliding his hands up her back, he pulled the neck down until her arms were free. She quickly helped him shimmy her dress down to her waist. Clay flicked the catch on her strapless bra, removing the last barrier to those voluptuous treasures that taunted him all night. Arching her back, she offered herself up to him. He took full advantage and used his broad palms to cradle her breasts. He rasped his tongue over the already pebbled tip of one while using his thumb to rub the other. Feeling her fingers dig into his flesh and seeing her bite her lip in response to his ministrations urged him on. They were both almost mad with want for each other.
Emma's hands fumbled with the closure on the gun-belt. Clay removed his hand from her breast and ripped open the plastic buckle, disengaging it from the vinyl strap. She finished her task, flipping open the button and drawing down the zipper of his jeans. Even contained in his boxer briefs, his engorged cock bulged out through the opening in the denim. She wrapped her hand around him and felt his leaking excitement dampening the front of his underwear. She flexed her fingers around him.
"Fuck, baby."
"My thoughts exactly."
She hopped up and quickly shoved off her panties while Clay lifted his hips and pushed down his pants and underwear. Emma immediately mounted him, hovering just above his erection, hands grasping his shoulders. Clay held himself steady. She was so slick with arousal that she sheathed him inside her tight heat in one swift move.
"Ahhh, Clay!"
His answering groan rang in her ears.
Once again, Emma was in charge, setting the pace as she moved up and down, drawing herself along his length. Clay picked up her rhythm and began to thrust up into her, in time with her undulations. He glanced down to their joining and watched her luscious folds enveloping his cock again and again. Her silken core caressing him, all he could feel was her. A heady moan from Emma drew his gaze up. Her eyes were closed, focusing on the feel of Clay deep inside her, filling her, while her breasts swayed with the motion of her body. Taking one again into his mouth, he flicked her nipple with his tongue and then released it to suckle her other breast before leaning back to observe her again.
"God, Baby. You feel so good, Em."
She whimpered in response and her movements became more frantic. She leaned in, pressing herself against his pelvis, seeking friction to push her over the edge. Clay knew what she needed, and he wanted her to fall, he wanted to see and feel her reach her peak. Reaching a calloused thumb over he massaged her clit, intensifying her pleasure. He could feel her climbing, her walls fluttering…until she threw back her head and cried out with abandon.
"Clay…Yeeeessss!"
He felt her climax wash over her, her channel clenching around his body and her release flooding over him. After a just few more thrusts, he followed her, spilling himself into her with a groan that vibrated through them both.
Emma collapsed against his chest, still catching her breath, her brow beaded with perspiration. He held her, kissing her forehead, and brushing back the damp tendrils of hair that escaped her ponytails. When she could speak, she tipped her face up to look at him.
"Now do you believe me that you make a sexy cowboy?"
"I don't know about that. But I do know that you're an excellent cowgirl. And Em…you can ride me anytime."
