The ranch hand breaks the rules to feel the cowboy's hand. Ashton stays on the spread for the safety of Vincent's command. He craves the rough submission that follows every correction, even as the risk of discovery grows with each day. The rancher carries buried guilt but never wavers in his control. Vincent meets every misstep the same way. He draws Ashton into the tack room, delivers spanks across bare skin until submission, and claims him with controlled force. The cattle drive is their only hope against foreclosure. Their attachment deepens with every shared moment on the trail. The single shared tent on the trail only increases the tension.
Vincent's hand closes on the belt.
