Taming Kat Read online

  Taming Kat

  By

  Aubrey Cara

  To Tamara, for always laughing at my stupid jokes, especially the unintentional ones.

  Copyright © 2014 by Baronet Press and Aubrey Cara . All rights reserved.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are a work of fiction, intended for adults.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are used fictitiously by the author. Any resemblance to actual places, events, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  EPILOGUE

  Candi’s Debt - Chapter One

  CHAPTER ONE

  Kat Martin wanted to be anywhere but where she was at the moment. That feeling seemed to be a running theme in her life and how she ended up where she was in the first place.

  She was just beginning her shift at Rusty Spur, a musty old bar situated on the outskirts of Gibson, Texas. The bar screamed stereotypical Texas with wagon wheel saloon décor inside, and a huge neon boot and spur kicking a tumble weed lighting up the Rusty Spur sign outside. Miranda Lambert's song 'Kerosene' blasted from the overhead speakers.

  Being as it was Friday, Kat knew she'd hear every popular country song play at least twice tonight. She would never admit it to anyone ever, but she secretly loved country music. On a lark she moved from Massachusetts to Gibson three months ago. She had thought it a splendid idea to work part time at a ranch and “find herself”.

  Although whatever epiphany she was hoping to have eluded her, she did discover a love for new challenges, manual labor, and country air. Yet the Yankee in her wasn't ready to pronounce herself wholly countrified.

  Now that she stared across the almost empty bar at what she called a pageant ready type woman, Kat felt like snarling. “That's so cliché,” Kat muttered, rolling her eyes.

  Kat wouldn't normally judge a woman by her looks but this particular woman was snooty with a capital SNOOT. Her name was Lindsey. She regularly came in with the self proclaimed Car King of Texas, Big Jim. Big Jim owned thirty-five car dealerships in Texas. Yet he took his lady love to the Rusty Spur in little old Gibson, Texas at six-thirty in the evening. Kat shook her head in disgust. It probably had something to do with not wanting his wife to find out. Kat thought someone should inform Ms. Snooty-Pants Lindsey the fall from her high horse was going to be rough.

  “What's cliché?”

  “It's a stereotype or basically anything lacking originality,” Kat quipped, purposely misunderstanding the new girl, Candice. The twenty-one year old, leggy blond was helping set up for the evening shift at the Rusty Spur where they worked. Candice just stuck out her tongue as she headed to the back to get more liquor to restock the bar.

  “You shouldn't be so hard on that girl,” said Mimi, a single mom in her early thirties. She came in from the back room, tying on a black apron around her slim waist.

  “I can't help it,” Kat complained. “I look at her and I can practically see the vapid wasteland between her ears.”

  Mimi just shook her head. “Youthful ignorance is something she'll probably outgrow. Bitch is a choice.”

  “Ouch,” Kat said, stumbling back and rubbing a spot on her chest. “Direct hit.”

  Mimi's lips were pursed and she had her eyes cut as she stared Kat down with what Kat had come to think of as 'the mom' look. “Everyone has their own special kind of stupid,” Mimi said. “You can't judge her just because hers is different than yours. You need to stop snarking on everyone. It makes you look ugly.”

  Kat paused wiping down the counter, sighing. Mimi was right. As she often was. Kat was a special kind of stupid and she was being mean. Who was she to judge anyone? She had no idea what she was doing with her life. College had been a bust. The closer she had gotten to getting her bachelor's degree in business the less she had wanted it. She hopped from job to job, without direction. Not willing or wanting to commit to any one thing.

  Now she still had no idea what she really wanted and was twenty-six years old, waitressing and bartending at a place like the Rusty Spur. Not that waitressing was a bad thing, she just wasn't sure if it was that good of a thing either. Truth be told she kind of hated it.

  Kat looked over at Mimi while she pulled glasses out of the dishwasher onto a rack for easy access when things got busy later. Mimi was beautiful, in a girl-next-door kind of way. Her figure was lithe and naturally thin in a way Kat envied. Kat had long ago accepted that her own round thighs, bottom, and over large breasts, along with her short stature were part of five generations of genetics she couldn't fight. All of that and her pale skin that refused to tan but thankfully never really freckled too much either. At least the bright red hair of her youth had darkened to a nice cinnamon.

  Mimi, on the other hand, had the kind of skin that always had a bit of a honey toned tan. Half Native American and half white it was unlikely she'd freckle, but her hair was more brown than black, and she had the prettiest muddy green eyes. All her features were actually that of a plain mousey woman, but on her they would cause second looks. And they regularly did. Not that Mimi ever did anything about it.

  Mimi had been living in Kansas City with her husband when he left her. Soon after she had moved home to Texas with her two-year-old. That had been three years ago. Or at least that was the story Kat had heard. She'd been waitress and bartender at the Rusty Spur ever since.

  Kat really liked Mimi and thought they could be great friends. Unfortunately between Kat working two jobs and Mimi having a kid, they really hadn't had a chance to hangout outside of the bar. Kat didn't know why Mimi never went after another job she was more qualified for. The one time she had asked her that question, Mimi had answered, “Just because you're qualified to do something, doesn't mean you want to do it.”

  Kat could understand that, but she wondered if that meant Mimi wanted to be waiting tables and bartending for the rest of her life. She never seemed like she was really happy, but she never seemed like she was particularly unhappy either. Could be she was just worn down by life. She was a single mom. She might just be getting by. Kat herself had gotten so busy getting by she forgot to stop and see if she was happy with where she was in life.

  “Mimi, what do you see yourself doing in five years?” Kat asked.

  Mimi sighed, “I hope you're not in a mood. It's Friday night and this place is going to be filled with every level of drunk in a few hours.”

  Kat was in a mood. She was feeling frustrated with life and not wanting to admit it. “I'm serious. Humor me. Please.”

  Mimi shrugged. She didn't stop prepping the bar area as she answered, “Hopefully I'll have my own place and a regular nine-to-five by then. Now that Zeke is in school full time I feel like I don't see him at all.” She huffed a sigh.

  Mimi paused before continuing with a thoughtful frown,“It's frustrating. I'm ready to get out of my parents' house. My parents haven't said anything, but I think they're ready to have some space and time to themselves as well. I have to admit, a space of my own would be really nice. Maybe I'd even date once in a while.”

  Ka
t couldn't imagine how tough it was to be a single mom living with her parents. Kat could never again live with her mother. Not without some heavy prescription drugs. She couldn't even live with her sister. Just one summer with her sister and she had moved to Texas. “Why don't you ever date now?” Kat asked.

  “Who would want to date a single mom living with her parents? Besides I have Zeke to think about. My parents watch him most nights as it is. I don't want to leave him with them just so I could go entertain myself on what would probably be a mediocre date.” She sighed, “Plus, Zeke doesn't need me to parade a whole bunch of strange men through his life just because I'm lonely. I don't think he'd understand. Even so, I really miss sex. I'm tired of having an exclusive relationship with my hand and the shower head.”

  “You haven't gotten laid once in the last three years?” Having said that louder than intended Kat looked around the bar at the few patrons. Thankfully no one had seemed to be paying any attention to them. She wasn't sure why she was so surprised. She herself had been a virgin until she was twenty-five. Not that anyone knew that. She'd never even told her friends in college she had been carrying her V-card. There was just too fine a line between slut and pathetic freak. Sadly the further she got away from eighteen the more acceptable it had been to be a slut, and the more being a virgin made her a pathetic freak.

  Mimi groaned, “No, and now you're depressing me. Thanks. What about you? I haven't exactly heard about any hot dates you've been on recently.”

  That shut Kat down. Her dating life was at an impasse, which it often was. Months ago she had come to Texas for her best friend Delia's wedding. They had all stayed out at Delia's fiancee Jake's parents' ranch, Circled F. Kat had fallen a little in love with the ranch. She wasn't sure why. Some days the wind blew just right and instead of the smells of green pasture you got punched with the stench of manure and dirty hay. Everything on the ranch just seemed so peaceful even when it was a hive of activity. She had wanted to learn everything.

  When Jake's mom had offered to let her stay and work part time on the ranch, Kat had jumped at the chance. And she was glad she had. She hadn't been happy in Virginia working with her sister Macy. Her sister constantly nagging and asking her what she was doing with her life had worn thin pretty quickly. It had been as bad as living in Boston with her mom.

  She wasn't sure if she was meant to be in Texas either. At least she enjoyed working on the ranch, even though the work was hard and dirty. She had never been more sore than the first two weeks she worked at Circle F. Before that she hadn't exactly been known to hit the gym, let alone do manual labor. It had been a new challenge, and a grand adventure.

  It also kept her busy and a busy Kat was good. It kept her from reflecting on what she was doing with her life. Or more pointedly hearing her mom and sister’s voices in her head telling her what she wasn't doing. Too bad she couldn't make more money there. As it was she had to pick up shifts at the bar to make ends meet.

  Kat shrugged. “No time for dating. Not that I've had much opportunity to meet anyone.”

  Mimi laughed. “No opportunity? I totally get not wanting to date any of the guys that we meet here, but don't you work part-time out at the Circle F? No sexy ranch hand tickling your fancy?”

  Kat inwardly cringed. She had a very specific ranch hand that had in fact tickled her fancy. A little too well, she remembered with no small amount of humiliation. About seven months ago Caleb McCrae had done things to Kat's fancy that made her lose all inhibitions.

  It hadn't helped that she had a few too many shots the night in question. And Caleb had taken full advantage. Although if she were honest with herself she knew tequila hadn't made her pants fall off. Caleb had ripped them off. Then he'd tied her up with them before he'd held her down and spanked her ass while she called him every name in the book. She had loved every second of it. She knew for a fact at more than one point she begged for more. Just thinking about that night sent inappropriate tingles to her happy places.

  Caleb McCrae was sin walking on two well sculpted legs. His features were too sharp, and his nose had been broken one too many times to be traditionally handsome. But he made up for it with a body carved out of granite. His short black hair was just long enough to grip, and his eyes were dark enough they almost looked black.

  He had passed through Hope Springs, Virginia during the short time she had been there. Long enough to take her virginity in a cataclysmic fashion and disappear. Not that she had wanted more than a one night stand, she reminded herself. She was the one who had sneaked out that next morning. She just thought he'd have the decency to stay disappeared.

  He'd ignored her since she snubbed him at Jake and Del's wedding three months ago. Well, ignored her when he wasn't checking her out like she wasn't covered from head to toe and stinking of sweat and whatnot. Like he was remembering exactly how she looked and tasted naked when she was much cleaner. Which he unfortunately knew from experience.

  The bottom dropped on her stomach every damn time he gave her those sexually charged looks, and she'd turn beet red. He'd smirk like he just won some kind of game she hadn't realized they were playing. Those looks had been annoying the hell out of Kat on a very regular basis for the last three damn months. Every time she turned around he seemed to be right there these days.

  Instead of all that she just said, “There's a lot less single desirable men out at Circle F than you'd think. Plus, most of the guys see me as one of their buddies.” At Mimi's eye roll said, “They do! I help bring in feed and muck out shit. I'm just one of the guys.”

  It was true, and Kat liked it that way. She imagined it would be hard on the guys if they saw her as a desirable female. She'd rather be seen as their equal anyways. She didn't want any preferential treatment because she had tits and a vagina.

  She was slicing limes behind the bar when she heard a loud man say,“Hey there, I'm gonna need three Budweisers, one vodka tonic, one jack'n coke, and your phone number.”

  Kat eye rolled. Pasting on her own fake smile she turned to look at a big, hairy fellow leaning his beefy arm along the bar.

  “Nice try,” she said. “How bout just the drinks for now?” He laughed like she had said the funniest thing. His friends must have been the middle aged guys occupying one of the high tops by the pool table. They were already laughing and cutting up. Kat knew the type. They'd be blitzed in an hour and getting a ride home from one of their wives or buddies by nine.

  “Having a boys night out?” Setting his beers on the counter, she began filling drinks.

  “You bet honey. My buddy Joe over there is getting a divorce.” He leaned in and said conspiratorially, “She was a cheating whore. She left him for a Mexican and left Joe her yippy as shit chihuahua. Can you believe that?”

  Kat shook her head in sympathy, when really she wanted to laugh. Most men were left bemoaning the fact their ex took their dog. This guy got left with a broken heart and an angry chihuahua. Kat imagined that was equivalent to leaving a bag of flaming dog doo on a guy's porch everyday for fifteen years or so.

  “That is bad. Poor bastard,” she said sympathetically. She knew the drill. Smile, flirt. Get a nice tip. She put all the drinks on a tray so the man could easily carry them back to his table. “Here's a shot of club soda for your friend. On the house.” Kat winked, giving Mr. Burly a big smile.

  The man again gave another big hoot of laughter, “A shot of club soda. That's a good one. I like you, Red. Here's my credit card. How 'bout you start a tab for me. I'm paying for this round but those bastards can pay for the rest of their drinks themselves.” With a wink he grabbed the tray and made his way back to his friends.

  Kat looked at the name on the credit card to remember later. Ron. She started Ron's tab just in time to start another drink order. The patrons of Rusty Spur always trickled in during happy hour, then by ten this place would be so packed out she'd barely have time to fill drink orders. By two her feet would be ready to fall off and she wouldn't care if they left a tip or n
ot.

  Kat smiled. Her night had begun.

  *** ***

  Kat grimaced. Her night had blown. They had run out one of the beers on tap, which would have been fine had she not had to go get another keg herself. She dropped it off the dolly onto her foot, which was now swollen and bruised. She then had to tap the keg herself, something she deplored doing because she was so bad at it. After spraying beer foam all down the front of her, Mr. Burly Ron wanted to check out his tab. The cheap bastard had left a three dollar tip on a seventy-five dollar check.

  When he'd seen her wet front he'd told her, “You need to clean yourself up honey.”

  Had Kat seen his lousy tip by then she would have replied, “Thanks Captain Obvious, why don't you go fuck yourself!” But she hadn't seen the tip yet, so she had kept her inner beast from Boston, Mass on the leash.

  The rest of the night seemed to follow suit. A group of young schmucks came in and were starting shit with the regulars. Turned out the lead schmuck was Candice's boyfriend from one town over. While he was starting fights with every group of guys that were unfortunate enough to give Candice their drink order, his friends were rudely hitting on women. Mimi had to physically pry one of the guys off her.

  Luckily Kat hadn't had to deal with them much. Rusty Spur didn't have much in the way of security. They had a doorman, starting at nine on the weekends, who wasn't very intimidating. They did fortunately have John.

  John was the owner of Rusty Spur. He was in his sixties, he drank too much, he smoked too much, and from the extra weight he carried, Kat would guess he ate too much. But he was 6'6,” at least 300 pounds, and a rifle wielding Texan. That made him damn intimidating.

  He'd walked out with a rifle and said, “Time to go.” When one of the assholes was about to argue—because he was either too drunk or stupid to care that the southern version of Andre the Giant was about to kill him—John lifted the rifle and said, “I'll give you to the count of seven, since that's my lucky number. Then I start shooting. One, two...” By five they had all scrambled out the door. Everyone in the bar had cheered, but by then it was near closing time. Most of the patrons had already started clearing out for the night.