Elaine woke with a start. She went from dream state to full alert in a heartbeat, just one of the rapid heartbeats she now felt pounding in her chest. Her body was covered with sweat, her breathing quick and shallow. Her arms and legs lay stretched out to the four corners of the bed, just as they'd been in her dream. That dream. The dream that tortured her almost every night recently.

She could still remember the first time she had the dream. She was on the verge of adolescence, only thirteen years old. She and her friends had watched an old cowboy movie that day, the good guys and bad guys in convenient color-coded hats. She'd laughed and giggled along with the group, mocking the corny plot and stilted dialogue. She was a smart-ass among smart-asses until the scene where the heroine got captured. The woman was running and the bad guys were on horseback. They'd chased her down and caught her with a lasso around her chest.

Elaine had wondered if her friends were affected by the scene the same way she was. They didn't seem to be. They kept laughing and making fun of the situation, but she sat completely silent and still. She couldn't take her eyes away from the black, white and gray images on the screen. The heroine, now bound hand and foot with a bandanna tied over her mouth, sat in a chair in the middle of a cabin. The bad guys went about their business, ignoring her struggles, setting their trap for the hero who was on his way to rescue their captive.

Elaine wished she could've stopped the scene right there. She remembered wondering what it would be like to be the woman on the screen, alone and helpless in the midst of mean, strong men. They could do anything they wanted with her and she would be powerless to stop them. The thought sent tingles through her body, feelings she didn't understand. It frightened her. And yet, she wished for the scene to go on and on. She wished the bad guys would forget their silly trap. She wished they'd turn to the woman and ... what? She didn't know.

Of course, the good guy came and rescued the damsel in the end, but to Elaine, it was a letdown. She kept trying to imagine what the evil men would have done if the hero hadn't shown up. She knew it was wicked to think of such things, but she couldn't help herself. The thoughts and images of the movie stayed with her throughout that day.

And that night, she had the dream for the first time.

In the dream, she was a full-grown woman, like the heroine in the movie. She was running in panic across an open field. The rumble of horses galloping behind her seemed to propel her forward, but the bad guys were closing fast. She was about to dash behind a boulder, when she suddenly felt her arms pinned to her sides. The leader of the bad guys had lassoed her. She heard his loud whoop as he pulled the rope taut and yanked her off her feet.

The next thing she knew, she was her back on the ground. Her wrists and ankles were tied to stakes, pulling her into an "X" shape. A red polka-dot bandanna was tied in her mouth. She recalled being somehow aware, even as she dreamed, that it was like the movie, but different from it at the same time.

Then she was aware of the smell of leather and mud. She looked up. The leader of the bad guys was standing right next to her, his shape silhouetted against the sun. She turned her head and saw his mud-caked boots next to her face. It seemed so real that she could make out all the fancy stitching in the worn leather. The bad guy laughed an evil laugh as he paced up and down the length of her body. She could hear the clink-clink of his spurs.

Then she was suddenly naked. What happened to her clothes? The evil men shouldn't see her like this! She struggled wildly against the ropes, but as she did, she felt that tingling sensation again, deep within her belly. She didn't know what the feeling was, but it seemed as if the bad guy did. His laugh subsided into a knowing sneer. Then he slowly traced the curve of her body with one of his spurs. The cold hard metal scratched and tickled at the same time. It seemed to make the tingling grow warm.

The bad guy laughed again as he lifted his boot and allowed the spur to tweak her nipple. She shook her head and tried to yell, "No! You mustn't touch me there!" But he just kept laughing his evil laugh, while the tingling within her grew hotter. Then he turned and began to lightly scrape the spur along the inside of her leg. Higher and higher, he pulled the spur along her thigh now, his laugh getting louder and more raucous. She shuddered, redoubling her struggles, screaming through the bandanna. She felt like she was on fire. Would he dare touch her secret place with his sharp spur?

She never knew. That's the point when she woke up that first time, and every time since. Now, as she lay in her bed, she tried to steady her breathing, relax, and put the dream and all the memories it sparked out of her mind. She ignored the dampness between her thighs and curled up into a ball. She needed to get back to sleep.

The next time she awoke, it was to the sound of the alarm. As she readied herself for work that morning, she reflected on her recurring dream. Of course, she understood more of the dream now than she did when she was thirteen, but what she still didn't understand was why she had been, and continued to be, so aroused by a situation that was clearly a prelude to rape. She was ashamed of her own body for reacting the way it did.

Elaine looked now at her body in the full-length mirror. She still wasn't sure what Gus saw in her. She'd always thought of herself as rather frumpy. It wasn't that she was fat or anything, but she'd never been happy the way she looked. The proportions just didn't look right to her.

She stared at her plain face, with the lips that turned down at the corners. Gus said she had "sexy, pouting" lips. To her, they made her look like she was always frowning, or, on bad days, like a grouper. She shrugged, sighed, and finished dressing.

As she drove to work, Elaine couldn't help thinking about the dream yet again, its reappearance after so many years of dormancy. It troubled her for weeks after it first came to her, but in the fifteen years since, she'd only thought about it once or twice. But she hadn't needed to think about it, having successfully banished it from her psyche. Banished, that is, until she met Gus the month before.

Gus worked for one of her new customers. She went to their office one day to service a copier and there he was, waiting to use the machine when she finished up. He was tall and ruggedly handsome. He reminded her of Kirk Douglas, right down to the cleft chin. She didn't realize she was gaping at him until he raised his eyebrows. "Can I use the machine now," he asked, "or do you have to stare into space for a certain amount of time first?"

She felt herself flush. "No, go right ahead," she said. "I'll just observe to make sure it's working all right." She didn't really need to watch the machine. Instead, she fixed her attention on him. She'd been instantly attracted to him, and as she watched him move, she became even more so. She was just beginning to wonder if he was "taken" when her eyes wandered down and she noticed his cowboy boots. Cowboy boots! she thought. This isn't Texas. Why does he have to wear cowboy boots? She could feel herself melting right on the spot.

He finished his copying and nodded to her. "Seems to be working okay now." He gathered up his papers and prepared to leave.

"Nice boots," she blurted out.

He stopped and flashed her a warm, genuine smile. "Why thank you. Thank you very much," he said. "Some people kid me about them. Ohio isn't exactly Texas, you know. But I guess I never stopped wanting to be a cowboy when I was a kid."

"Oh?" Her throat felt constricted and her voice came out like a creaky hinge. He didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah," he continued, needing only a syllable of encouragement. "In fact, one of my hobbies is doing rope tricks. You know, with a lasso."

"Oh?" she said again, her voice a mere squeak. She tried to pull her lips into a smile and hoped he wouldn't notice the flush she felt on her cheeks.

"It's kinda silly, I guess," he said. Then he laughed. "Of course, it could come in handy. You never know when you might need to do some rustlin', huh?" He laughed again.

She tried to join in his laughter, even as she imagined him riding along rustlin' her with his lasso. She worried that he would somehow be able to read her thoughts, but he seemed unaware of the turbulence his casual remarks were causing inside her. She couldn't believe that this gorgeous man who wore cowboy boots and did rope tricks was really standing here talking to her.

They made small talk for a few more minutes when she heard him ask her to lunch and found herself agreeing to meet him the next day.

That was a little over a month ago. They quickly found they had a lot in common and went out frequently. Gus definitely seemed to find her attractive, as hard as it was for her to accept. In fact, she had to slow him down several times. She really liked him and wanted the relationship to work out, but she also wanted to take things nice and slow. He'd been quite gentlemanly and understanding about it.

As she pulled into the parking lot at the office, she smiled at the thought of where they were going the next night. Gus was taking her to a rodeo. A rodeo! She couldn't believe it. She didn't even know they had rodeos in Columbus, and to top it all off, Gus was going to perform some of his rope tricks in front of the crowd.

That very evening, Gus was taking her to a dress rehearsal of sorts. He said he'd never performed in front of so many people and wanted a chance to practice in the setting where he'd be the next day, so they were going to go to the empty arena and use his pass to get in. He was going to give her a private viewing of his lasso show.

Elaine had been doing a lot of thinking about this over the past several days and decided to prepare a little surprise for Gus that evening. Her outfit would be a mid-length denim skirt and a light blue gingham blouse. It was as close to a "cowgirl" outfit as anything she had. Of course, she'd wear her new cowboy boots as well, but her main surprise was what she was not wearing, namely bra and panties. She decided that if Gus was ready tonight, so was she.

He picked her up around 7:00 and they made quick time to the arena, traveling against the late rush hour. The guard at the service entrance let them in with no problem. There they were, alone in the darkened stadium.

She climbed up into one of the bleachers while Gus stepped out into the dirt filled ring. He was quite serious about his dress rehearsal and went through all his tricks. He even tried out the witty banter he had written.

Elaine was delighted and impressed. As curious as she was about his hobby, she had never seen him in action before. The rope seemed to be an extension of his body. He had perfect control over how it looped and spun. She applauded after each trick, just like she would the next day, and with each passing minute, she knew she was that much closer to letting Gus find the surprise she had planned.

At the end of his routine, Gus snared a variety of objects at various distances. As she watched the coil of rope circle its target and pull tight, Elaine began to feel almost woozy. He finished up and took a long bow, at last noticing that Elaine was not applauding.

"Excuse me, Miss," called Gus. "Is there a problem with this part of my act?"

Elaine licked her lips, then called back in response. "Well, Cowboy, it's one thing to catch stationary objects. Let's see you catch something moving."

Gus thought for a moment. "Ma'am, you'll see plenty of that when the real cowboys come out and do their calf ropin'."

"No," said Elaine. "I want to see you do it." She was now smiling her own wicked smile.

Gus again thought for a moment and slowly began to realize what she was getting at. He looked around as though searching for something. "I'm afraid I don't see any calves around here for me to rope, Ma'am."

Elaine stood up in the stands. Her heart was racing, but she knew what she wanted now and was determined to get it. "Maybe you could use a volunteer from the audience," she called out.

Gus cocked his head, a surprised grin spreading across his face. "Alrighty. I reckon I could try ropin' a volunteer from the audience."

Even as he spoke, she hopped down from the bleachers and ran out into the ring. "I'll volunteer," she offered helpfully.

Gus scanned the empty bleachers. "Don't look like anyone else is gonna offer, so I guess you're it, Ma'am." Then he switched to a more serious voice. "Are you wanting me to do what I think you are?" he asked.

In answer, she quickly started running across the ring, calling out "Catch me and find out!"

She didn't get far. As soon as he saw her start to run, he flipped the lasso over his head, twirled it quickly and let it go with a loud whoop. His aim at a moving target was just as accurate as it had been on the motionless ones.

Elaine thought she'd get further away, having taken him by surprise, and was surprised herself to find the loop of rope around her chest so quickly. She let out a cry as she felt the rope pulled taut. Her arms were pinned to her sides and she couldn't run any further, held fast by Gus' strong arms at the other end of the rope.

She turned herself to face him. Her eyes were ablaze with arousal. Gus started to reel her in, but she dug her heels into the dirt. She wanted so much for him to take her now, but he was going to have to work for it. She fought his pull with all her might, but the distance between them quickly dissolved until they stood about a foot apart.

They were both breathing hard. She looked at him defiantly, daring him to make his move. Suddenly, he pulled her to him and kissed her. He pressed his lips to hers forcefully, almost violently, and as he held her tightly, she could feel his arousal.

He began to unbutton her blouse, quickly discovering her missing bra. He laughed and continued faster. When he got to the rope still encircling her just below her breasts, he started to loosen it.

"No!" she snapped at him.

He jumped, startled.

"No," she repeated, almost pleading. "Don't loosen it. You caught me. Now don't let me get away."

"Darlin'," he said, "I didn't expect this little game you're playing, but I'm right there with you."

At that, he pulled her unbuttoned blouse open to reveal her small pert breasts. He toyed with them as she murmured her approval. Then he laid her down in the dirt. He did it with mock roughness, being sure that she landed softly. She lay at his feet, her chest heaving, her legs pressed together. Her lips were parted slightly and moved almost imperceptibly as though in silent prayer.