Exclusive Excerpt – Riding Little Red

Red climbed through the bramble, cutting her legs on thorns. She hated going to her grandmother's house. The old woman smelled of mothballs and served gruel for breakfast. She kept her teeth in a jar next to the sugar. Disgusting.

The smell of boiled cabbage wafted out the windows of grandmother's house. Red loathed cabbage. It gave her gas. There was nothing worse than a run of farts when you're trying to impress a lad.

She walked into her grandmother's cottage and plopped her basket on the dining room table. Her mother forced her to visit grandmother at least once or twice per week. The woman wasn't long for this world. Red didn't care. She'd rather seduce the neighborhood guys than listen to another one of Grandma's tales of how women were not sluts in her day like they were now. Hint, hint.

Not bothering to ask, Red dipped into the cookie jar and grabbed a cookie. She took one bite and gagged. They were undercooked again. Might as well eat raw oatmeal. She spat the dough into grandmother's spittoon. The old hag liked her chewing tobacco.

Now that she was eighteen and a fully-grown woman, the urge to explore the world outside her church and hearth had overtaken her. Red didn't want to get married and push out a passel of rug rats like other women her age. Home life was not for her. She wanted the man but not the marriage. Red craved sexual adventure, and she knew just the men who could give it to her.

There was only one reason Red visited Grandma, and that reason wore tight jeans and a tool belt. Red grinned. She hoped to get lucky today, out of her grandmother's earshot. Neither Gran nor Mother approved of Randy, the Big Bad Mr. Wolf. He wasn't the sort a girl brought home to dinner to meet the parents. They had a doctor or lawyer in mind for their little girl, not a grease monkey. Randy maintained the cottages for the residents; replacing light bulbs, repairing broken refrigerators, adding new filters to the heaters on bitterly cold days like today. The first time Red laid eyes on him she wanted to test-drive his drill.

Red also noticed the other maintenance man; the new one who started working on the rental properties about a month ago. Mmm-mmm, she could eat him as a snack! She didn't know his name but she imagined those strong arms gripping her wrists behind her back, mouth ravishing her while he held her so tightly she couldn't breathe.

Notepaper sat on the dining room table. Red picked it up. Off to see the doctor, dear, it read. Help yourself to some cookies. She made her yucky face. No way would she make that mistake again! Please call Randy Wolf. The kitchen sink is clogged up again.

She smiled and dialed a number on her cellphone. Would Randy like to come over and unclog her pipe?

He said he'd come in a few minutes. You bet he would!

When Randy arrived, he didn't bother to knock. He unlocked the door and let himself in. He smelled of man sweat and axle grease. Dressed in a black t-shirt so tight it hugged his massive pecs and muscular arms, he dripped with animal magnetism. Low-slung stained jeans encased his strong thighs - thighs she wanted wrapped around her body. Red was surprised to see another worker following on his heels. A red bandana tamed his unruly black hair. His lantern jaw offset a rugged face. The tools on their belts clanged together like wind chimes made of junk yard iron. Was her favorite maintenance man fantasy about having a ménage about to come true?

"Hey, Red." Randy said. "How are you this fine morning?"

"My parents and Gran are pressuring me to get married again. Why am I given only one option in life while you get to do as you wish?"

"It's unfair, I know. I don't necessarily get to do what I want, either. I'd love to travel but like you, my parents have other ideas. I'm twenty-three and they make me feel like I'm sixteen. I must provide for a family I don't want. I understand where you're coming from. I can't imagine you married and especially raising a herd of brats," Randy said. "You have wanderlust. Have you ever thought of traveling the world to see what it has to offer?"

"Yes, I have, but I don't know where to start," Red said. "This village is so provincial. I need to get to the city, but I don’t have enough money to pull off the trip."

Randy took a lock of her candy apple red hair in his hand and twisted it around his finger. The warm gesture brought a smile to her face. "I may have an answer for you. But first, tell me what you are really doing here today. You don't have to stick around." He said with a wolfish grin.

"You know perfectly well why I'm here." Red brush one hand down Randy's bulging bicep and felt his muscles ripple beneath his skin. The touch made her nipples harden. "You are one of the only things that make this dump of a town tolerable. And do you mind introducing me to your friend? Do you have something special in mind for us?" She eyed up the other handyman with interest.

He laughed, took her hand in his, and squeezed. "You are incorrigible, Red. Insatiable. That's one thing I like about you. You know what you want, and you grab it without a second thought. There are some obstacles holding you back from achieving all your dreams, but you don’t get discouraged. At least, when it comes to me, you grab with all you've got." He wrapped his arms around her. "You make it clear what you want, and I thought I'd bring you a little surprise today. One I know you'll like. I thought I'd bring along Brett Lupo. I've seen the way you've watched him at work. He can help you with ... anything you need. You got a pipe you need plunged, huh?" One corner of his mouth curled up in a wicked grin. 

"Why don't you boys come over here, and show me what you've got on under those tool belts." Red swayed her hips as she walked into the kitchen, knowing two sets of eyes watched her luscious bum. She leaped up and sat on the counter as Randy and Lupo approached. "Gran's at the doctor's. We have about an hour. Let's make the most of it."