Her Balancing Act: Quinlan O'Connor Book 3 Read online

  Her Balancing Act

  Quinlan O’Conner - Book Three

  By

  Alyssa Bailey

  2016© Blushing Books® and Alyssa Bailey

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  Alyssa Bailey

  Her Balancing Act

  EBook ISBN: 978-1-68259-879-5

  Cover Art by ABCD Graphics & Design

  This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults. Nothing in this book should be interpreted as Blushing Books' or the author's advocating any non-consensual spanking activity or the spanking of minors.

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  Table of Contents:

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  EBook Offer

  Blushing Books Newsletter

  Blushing Books

  Chapter One

  Cheyenne closed her own business ledgers and sighed. Her husband had said he seriously needed to talk to her. She thought back on her day and knew that what he wanted to discuss wasn’t about her. She knew she still had some settling in after the wedding. Even after two years of being together, it was different once you were married. Things had calmed down now that they were in a routine. It took them a little while to get into a normal rhythm because Quinn had an accident when they were moving into their new house.

  Quinn’s stubbornness was the cause of the accident because he did not want his family to know he was more than a dominant in name only. He’d gone to great lengths to keep his tastes hidden. The frontal piece of the door from the office to the basement was a bookshelf. Quinn had no intentions of a nosy person wandering down there.

  He had taken down the first pieces of their home playroom to the basement without assistance and fell, gaining a significant concussion. She shuddered at her ability to stand down two of the O’Connor men and tell them that they were a big part of the reason her husband was in the hospital.

  After she had dressed down his family because of their immoveable expectations, her relationship with those menfolk was more comfortable. Cheyenne smiled because it had become so comfortable in fact, that she had been threatened several times by her new brothers to offer her up as a spanking sacrifice to her husband when she crossed the line too far. It had been a month since the last episode. She shook her head in remembrance.

  She had been told by the guys that she could ride any horse that was available at the time except their own mounts. Those were too spirited and one-man horses. Who knew riding on the newest acquisition would get those same men so riled up? Well, Audacious did balk at the saddle a little, but he took it well enough. That little faux pas earned her a long training session on equine livestock, stable rules, and safety, leaving her with a pronounced sore butt, but they had all survived the experience. She was to ask one of the workers next time she wanted to ride. She hated that. Cheyenne smiled as she stood to check her goulash before settling back in her chair.

  “So, if I have to ask every time I ride, I’m getting my own horse,” she had boldly announced. “When is the next auction?” The adult table at the weekly family dinner became silent. “Why are you acting so weird about it?”

  Cheyenne looked around the table with an incredulous demeanor. The women were looking anywhere but at her and the men continued to eat as though she had not spoken. Quinn and Ciarán said her name at the same time. “Cheyenne,” Quinn continued, “I’ll help you find a horse, but you aren’t going to go and buy your own just because you didn’t get your way.”

  “You think that’s it?” she hissed in as low a volume she could muster as angry as she was with her husband. “You think I’m just being a childish woman who didn’t get her way so she’s going to do something to spite you all? That’s rich coming from a man who didn’t like the dog the department chose for you to work with so you and Ciarán bought one special and offered the use of it to the department but only with you.” She threw her fork on her plate and followed it with her napkin before shoving her chair back, grabbing her purse and slamming out the door.

  “What the hell?” yelled Liam. He earned an arm smack from his wife and several shhh’s from the table. He had the good grace to
look apologetically at his wife.

  Quinn rolled his left hand over and shrugged his left shoulder. “I’m sorry, guys. I don’t know about her sometimes. Different situations seem to get to her, and I can’t anticipate them. I haven’t figured her tells yet.”

  Katie spoke quietly. “Did you do something after the last riding incident that would make her not feel comfortable riding one of the stock?”

  “We discussed the ill-advised move of picking the newest horse for her romp down the trails before we had the chance to acclimate him to the rest of the yard if that’s what you mean.”

  Katie nodded. “Then you had better go find your wife and apologize. After that is done, you take Ciarán and the three of you find her a horse she can call her own. I don’t think you guys understand the meaning of ownership and belonging when you own all you survey.”

  Jocelyn concurred. “Yep. All of us women are grafted in, and it can feel a bit overwhelming, to say the least. Cheyenne needs to have some things she calls her own to allow her to slip into her placement with everyone. Go get her a horse.”

  The very next day they began the search and within a week they brought home Melody, a beautiful Chestnut Quarter horse with plenty of spunk. “I think you’ll like this one, but you need to bond so every day I expect you out here, taking care of her and riding her.” That had been several weeks, and Cheyenne hadn’t been happier.

  Now, they were into a nice routine, and she relaxed in it. They had decided not to have children yet. It was mostly Cheyenne, but Quinn was fine with it. They would start soon enough, but it was nice just the two of them right now. They had lots of O’Connor nieces and nephews to love on if they had the urge.

  Cheyenne looked at the clock and then glanced one last time at her list of things to accomplish and felt good about how much she crossed off the list. She had worked on making sure their own books were in order, and now it was time for Quinlan to tell her about all the investments he had made. She knew he had some in the Montana ranch, the Circle C as well as his inheritance portion of the Emerald Isle and wanted to make sure she knew the contracts or the agreements and obligations. She got up to finish dinner.

  Just as she was reaching for plates to set the table, strong arms wrapped around her middle and lips nuzzled her neck before placing a nibble and kiss. She leaned back into her husband with a giggle.

  “Mmm, this is a nice appetizer.” Quinn’s hot breath bathed her cheek before he turned her just enough for a kiss. “I can’t wait for dessert.”

  “Well, do you mind if we have the entrée first?” she teased.

  Sighing loudly, he playfully popped her bottom and squeezed one last time before taking a step back. “I guess.” He perked up. “Do I have time for a quick shower? It’s been a long day.”

  “Yep, you have fifteen minutes.”

  “Great, be back shortly.”

  Quinn came down with damp hair and a generally casual, mussed look about him that squeezed Cheyenne’s heart.

  “How was your day? Chase any criminals?”

  Quinn took a large serving of goulash and bread. “Nope. We had only one call of any importance today and then it blew over before it became anything.”

  Cheyenne dished her own dinner. “That’s supposed to be good, right?”

  He shrugged. “Sure, but I’m used to responding to all in the county, not just the city limits. It can feel a little boring, you know?”

  “I can see that. Speaking of the mundane, I have some accounting questions. I know you have things worked out, but I really need all your paperwork on your investments so I can handle the taxes when they come around.”

  “I just throw money into the pot when Ciarán or Liam are doing something new or expanding and let them handle it from there.”

  He made it sound so haphazard, but she knew her husband, like the rest of his family, invested carefully and knew exactly where their money was. He took a big bite as though he hadn’t eaten this week. Cheyenne smiled. It was nice to have your dinner appreciated in such a tangible way.

  “Yes, well your wife is handling it now, and I need to know how much everyone is contributing. I work in concrete numbers. It’s easy from Liam and Ciarán, they just have a wage they pay themselves just like all other employees, and then the rest is put into specific accounts by percentages. You have a payout into an account that varies according to the profit margin and your investment.”

  “Yep and whatever that is, I just leave it there to reinvest the next time. I don’t know the actual breakdown off hand. I just reinvest as needed, and so far, the profits have been consistent. I can get you the statements. I’ll just put you on everything, and you can put it together, that work?”

  “Yes. You aren’t at all like those other two. They are always watching the numbers.”

  “Right but it is their livelihood, it isn’t mine. I check on my balance a couple times a year but my operating account I know by heart. Which brings me to another topic I wanted to talk about with you. I’ve been thinking about another way to invest my ranch earnings.”

  “Well, that means you had better put me on all your accounts if I’m supposed to keep up. What did you have in mind?”

  “I should have done it already. I’m sorry to be so slow to take care of that.” He took a drink of iced tea. “I know we haven’t talked much about money, but while I love to ranch when I need to, I’m not a rancher full time. That was part of the reason that I went into law enforcement. I’m not a twenty-four-seven rancher. Nonetheless, I do want my money to work for me so I’ve always made some investment into cattle, mustangs, and whatever else the Circle C did. I even threw in for Ciarán’s kennels when he branched out from equestrian.

  “Good heavens,” she laughed good-naturedly.

  “Da made us work as kids, and he paid us a fair wage for a fair day’s work and Mom made us save it. Besides, it sounds like a lot and I have diversified, but I’m the only one of my brothers who doesn’t own his own business. I like the investing and weekend sweat equity transactions the best. But that might change in the near future.”

  “What do you mean? Anything else I should know?” She stood to grab the cobbler from the counter. They often ate in the kitchen, and Cheyenne liked the coziness of it.”

  “The additional land we bought last year was a very good investment, and I threw money into it for housing more buffalo of which I support a part of as well. The sheep we put in on the other side of the creek with the rougher terrain are all mine. I even threw in a chunk for the Emerald Isle when they put in that fishing tank for business. It’s actually doing unbelievably well. Paying to fish at a man-made tank is wild. But now, I want to diversify.”

  “Diversify? You don’t think buffalo, cows, mustangs, dogs, sheep, fish, guided tours, Forest Service help, and land are not enough diversity? If you ask me, it’s over the limit.”

  “When you put it like that, it does sound a bit eclectic doesn’t it?” He shook his head and released a short laugh. “No, I mean in a different direction, a non-ranch connected direction for investment next.”

  “You have my accounting business and the rental house we bought before moving in here. Oh, and didn’t you all agree to invest in Cián’s veterinarian practice whenever that happens?” Cheyenne cleared the dinner dishes and served the cobbler and coffee. Her husband liked dessert with every meal. She tried to keep it as low calorie as she could, but that was mostly for her because he burned off everything he ate.

  “Yes, but Cián is more than just good business, it’s his start. I can see where you’re going with this though. Good thing I have an accountant wife so that she can keep all the investments straight.”

  “I have my own money, Quinn. Dad left me a nice inheritance and the accounting business does well. I can help with things, but we have to figure out a simpler plan, like contributing a percentage or something.”

  “Thank you but no, baby, that money is yours, and I want it to stay yours, cleanly. Besides, I’m going to ha
ve to ask you to help me with more accounting if I do this new business. I was going to use the property we already have, but I decided it’s too close to everyone else after I thought about it. I do have some property choices, and I’d like you to look at with me and then we can discuss this new endeavor that Josh keeps talking about.”

  “You mean you are really going to do it?”

  She wondered where it would end? Even though Quinn liked to say he wasn’t a rancher, he put in plenty of off-hours in the ranch. When they visited his folks, he put in a fair amount of time in the Emerald Isle. He was a rancher with a day job. Balancing it all was tricky at times.

  “Oh, yes. You mean starting a club like The Sting, near Butte? It’d be a much smaller and more intimate endeavor, of course. It’s mostly for our group, with a very small additional clientele so that we can have the income to support it. We would all pay our dues, but the upkeep would be less. I know we have mentioned it a while back but after the accident, I needed to let it go for a bit.”

  They moved to the living room where Cheyenne was drawn into Quinn’s lap. She happily snuggled in tight.

  “You wanted to call it The Edge, right?”

  He rubbed her hip in small slow circles. “Right, Edgewood. We were thinking Forest’s Edge, but Edgewood is better. Then when Carter, Josh, and Sue moved to Butte, I started to think about it again. I’ve had a few more conversations with the guys and now with Ace and Jacquie moved outside of Butte, it makes sense. The one club near Butte doesn’t have a good reputation or we would all just go there.”

  “Oh, don’t forget Ashley and Richard will be moving closer in the next six months, I hear. Wouldn’t that cost a pretty penny? I mean, I know we talked about it, but I guessed it to be a few years away.”

  “It could be too expensive all at once, but we would start with the land and then the building followed by furnishing the interior. We would have to have it out of the way because privacy would be the main goal, that and having some fun.”