“He’s going to be hunting with me. I want him to be as well turned-out as I am.” I shrugged. “Besides, I have the money.”
She smiled. “Yes, you do, don’t you? I hope all your investors are as lucky.”
I shook my head. “Enough about money.”
We had reached the house by this point. “Would you like coffee or something a little stronger?”
“Well, if this is going to be a fashion show, I think some wine might be appropriate.”
“I can handle that.”
As soon as we entered the house, I directed her to the room where Reece and I had dined. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll let Maggie know I have guests and bring the boxes in.”
Maybe it was stupid, but I was about as excited as a kid at Christmas to open the boxes and get a look at everything. By the time Reece joined us a few minutes later, the room even looked a bit like the aftermath of a Christmas morning.
“Look,” I said as he stepped into the room. I’ve opened everything and separated it into your stuff and mine. I’m going to try everything on, if you want to keep Sherry company. As I started toward the door with my hands full, he dropped a pair of boot pulls in one boot.
“You’re going to want those. If those boots are fitted correctly, it will be like getting into a glove.”
His clear blue gaze met mine for a moment. Had it been only the two of us, I had the feeling trying on all this clothing would have ended in a far different way than sharing wine and snacks with my neighbor.
“I’ll be right back.” God, I sounded as breathless as a girl.
Reece was right about the boots. After I got into them and smoothed the butter soft leather over my calves, I wondered how I was going to get back out of them again. A boot jack didn’t sound nearly as fun as having Reece help me, but I was sure that hustling Sherry out of the house would be a bit too obvious.
When I entered the den, Sherry was talking about running into Reece’s former client, Jordy, in town. “I have to tell you, he doesn’t have anything nice to say about you Reece. Says you deliberately set him up, so you could win that jumper class.”
“He entered that class at the last minute,” Reece snapped, “against my recommendation.”
Sherry put her hands up, shaking her head. “Hey, I believe you. I just thought you should know what he’s saying around town.”
As if sensing my presence, Reece looked up to see me standing in the doorway. His entire expression changed. If that look wasn’t a dead giveaway that something more than teacher and student was going on between us, I didn’t know what it would be.
I held my arms away from my sides. “Well, what do you think?”
“The fit looks great,” Sherry said as she and Reece crossed the room. “They do a wonderful job at Horse & Hound. My husband ordered all of his stuff from them.”
Reece examined everything with a far more critical eye, having me move my arms as I would while I was going over a jump, and nodding his approval. “How do the boots feel? Not pinching or binding anywhere, are they? You need to remember, you’ll be spending most of the day in them when we hunt.”
“They’re good.”
Sherry glanced at her watch and polished off her wine. “I hate to drink and run, but I have an appraiser coming to take a look at a few paintings.”
“Still downsizing?” I asked.
“That and redecorating some rooms. The traditional country estate look fit my husband, but I’d like to take things a little lighter, kind of like you’ve done with this place. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”
Reece stood next to the French doors leading to the pool, not speaking until he heard the door shut behind her. When I walked over and touched his shoulder, I felt the stiffness in his muscles.
“You don’t care for her, do you?”
He glared at the empty doorway. “No. There always seems to be a mean edge to the news she shares.”
I slid my arm around his waist. “Well, she’s gone now. Do I get to see you in your new stuff?”
Reece relaxed and chuckled. “I’d much rather see you in nothing at all.”
“Then how convenient that I see Mrs. Knowles getting into her car to leave for the day.”
Reece surprised me by grabbing the lapels on my jacket and pulling me in for a quick, hard kiss. I massaged the back of his neck and the kiss softened and deepened, our tongues tangling and our breathing quickening.
“Can this fashion show wait?” Reece asked. “I am desperate for you.”
I leaned my forehead against his. “About what we were talking about earlier…”
“You bottoming?” he murmured. “You don’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable, Whitt.”
“That’s just it. I’ve hardly been able to think of anything else. Make love to me, Reece.”
His work-roughened hands framed my jaw. “I’ll take care of you. Do you have anything here or do we need to go upstairs?”
“There’s lube and condoms in my desk. I’ll get them.”
When I returned to the room, Reece had moved the boxes aside and poured us both a couple more glasses of wine. I started to take off my jacket.
“I’ll do that.”
Carefully, he removed my jacket. While I pulled my polo shirt over my head, Reece folded the jacket and placed it back in its box.
“Boots first,” he said as my hands went to my belt buckle. “Have a seat.”
I was right. Watching his tight ass as he pulled my boots off was sexy as hell. It must have shown in my expression because when Reece turned, the whole process of getting naked speeded up tremendously. We stood in the middle of the room, hands stroking over each other, hitting every ridge and dip of muscle.
“I want to suck you first,” Reece told me. He backed me up to the couch until I had to sit before he scooted in between my spread thighs. I wanted to memorize the picture—my cock hard and ready, Reece kneeling there, his blue eyes slumberous as he slowly leaned in to kiss me again on the mouth, his hands skating over my chest and stomach.
“Yes,” I hissed as his hand wrapped around me. With one more look into my eyes, he kissed his way down the arrow of dark hair on my abdomen until his tongue swiped around the top of my dick. I let my head drop back against the chair, losing myself in the feeling of his hand and mouth working me.
“Are you trying to make me come?” I asked.
He sat back on his heels. “No. I want that to happen while I’m buried in your ass.”
“Then don’t wait too long. I’m dying here.”
“Turn over.”
My heart pounded. I was in brand new territory. I was always in control, always the one to make decisions, so allowing someone else to take the lead wasn’t easy. But I did it.
Reece leaned over me, his cock bumping the backs of my thighs as he whispered in my ear. “I know this is new. I promise I will be so careful, but if you ever want me to stop, tell me.”
I nodded, my cheek resting on the cool leather of the couch and promised myself I would let go and enjoy this change. Reece’s every touch induced pleasure at the same time its gentleness reassured me. This was the man I had come to know, who cared for everything around him as though it were a precious gift. Now he made me feel the same way.
By the time the head of his cock nudged the tight bud of my ass, I was gasping with need.
“Push back,” he whispered as the pressure increased. When he finally breached the tight ring of muscles, I thought I was going to pass out, not from pain, but from the intensity of the pleasure.
“Shit.” My hands clawed at the couch.
“Easy, baby.” Reece dropped a kiss next to my ear. “See how good it feels. Tell me.”
“So good.” I nearly sobbed as he pushed completely in. His hands covered mine, twining our fingers while he began a steady rhythm in an out. I said his name over and over in sync with his movements. He carried one of my hands to my erection.
“Stroke yourself, baby. Come with me.”
I felt the familiar tightening in my balls, my hand working up and down as Reece continued to fuck me.
“I’m going to come,” he ground out, his movements accelerating. Seconds apart, we both shouted with pleasure. The weight of him slumped over my back and the feel of our chests heaving for breath was amazing. He stroked my cheek with his index finger.
“You okay?” Worry colored his tone, but it didn’t need to be there. I had never felt better in my entire life.
“No,” I told him and felt him stiffen. “I am fan-fucking-tastic. That was incredible.”
His lips pressed against my shoulder.
Within a few minutes, we were in the pool, braving the cool, evening air and enjoying the warmth of the water. Elbows braced on the deck behind me, I stared out over the water and cleared my throat.
“I’ve enjoyed having you beside me at night,” I told Reece and slid him a look. “What do you think about moving your things into the master suite? I mean, you’re there most of the time now anyway.”
Reece pushed his wet hair off his forehead. “I thought you wanted to keep our relationship private. Won’t my moving into your bedroom make that difficult?”
It did give me a moment of uneasiness, but it wasn’t like I would be bringing the neighborhood on a house tour so I could proclaim “and this is the room where Reece and I fuck every night.”
“I don’t see it as an issue. Mrs. Knowles is the only one who cleans the bedrooms, and she’s not talking to anyone.”
Reece bumped his hip against mine underwater. “If you’re sure, Whitt, I can’t think of any place I would rather be.”
Wow. I rubbed the warm spot that made in my chest. I leaned over and kissed him before dunking him. Reece came up laughing. We swam and splashed like a couple of kids before the air temperature dropped enough to drive us indoors to towel off.
As Reece scrubbed the water from his hair, he said casually, “There’s a small warm-up show Saturday at my friend’s farm. I’m planning on taking Satin there so we can get some more experience under our belts before Maysburg. Would you like to come and watch?”
I had a phone conference scheduled for Saturday with a prospective client, but the hopeful look on Reece’s face was enough for me to smile and say, “I’d love to.”
I would move the meeting, come hell or high water.
16
Reece
The rest of the week passed at lightning speed. I put in additional work on Satin, holding Whitt to his lessons, but seeing little of him until late in the evening. He apologized profusely, telling me he was working on a project in addition to the one with Maitland. Because of the time differences involved, it often meant scheduling teleconferences at odd hours.
At night, though, we were in his bed and wrapped in each other’s arms. Even Ripper was now firmly ensconced at the end of the bed, staking his doggy claim on a proportionately much larger piece of the king-sized bed than he actually needed.
The morning of the show, I slipped out of bed well before dawn. It was just a schooling show, but I wanted Whitt to be impressed. Where I might have made do with breeches, boots, and a sweater, I decided I would take the coat and tie with me. I had left him the address on the bureau next to his wallet before Ripper and I headed to the barn.
The other three horses seemed relieved when the only one I took out was Satin. I had hitched the trailer to the truck the night before and loaded everything I would need except the horse. Steffy’s schooling shows were always well-attended. She kept the entry fees low, there was plenty of parking, and she always had a boatload of horse show moms who would handle concessions. So even if Satin had a rough day, I was at least assured of getting some decent homemade cookies.
“You look unusually cheerful, even for you,” Steffy commented as she came up and gave me a hug. After leaning back a few inches, she studied my face as though searching for something. “Ha! You are totally in love, aren’t you?”
I tried to protest, but heat flooded my cheeks.
“It’s him,” she whispered. “The billionaire banker.”
“I don’t think of him that way, Steffy.” My tone sounded reproving, but I couldn’t help it. She was voicing the very thing I worried about, that people—including Whitt—would think his money was why I was with him.
She tapped my cheek. “I know you don’t, Reece. I said it because I knew you would confirm it was Dailey that’s given you this glow.”
I blew out a breath as I checked to make sure Satin’s lead shank was securely tied. “Can I gush for five seconds?”
She grinned. “I promise I won’t tell or call you girly for doing it.”
“He’s incredible. Brilliant, handsome, a fantastic rider already…”
“Thanks to you.”
“Mostly to him. He works as hard at the lessons I’ve given him as he does at his business. And,” I grinned, “He’s coming to watch me ride today.”
“Squee!” Steffy kissed my cheek. “I promise to be cool and not overreact, but you are going to introduce me, right?”
“Don’t grill him. He’s kind of shy.”
“Shy? The guy’s a barracuda of the banking world. How can he be shy?”
“He is. Trust me.”
Steffy rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just so you know, Jordy is here with his trainer. Oh, and I have a program for a show tomorrow in Lexington. You should think about going. It will have a crowd similar to what Satin will encounter at the Maysburg show.”
“I don’t know. Let me think about it. That’s a tight turnaround and it would mean a couple days away from the farm.”
She shook her head. “You’ve got it bad. I’ll stick a copy of the show bill in the cab of your truck when I get a chance.”
“Thanks, sweetie.” I gave her a peck on the cheek and headed for the show secretary’s booth so I could pay my entry fees. I didn’t see any sign of Whitt yet, but then I didn’t expect to. I had told him it would be close to lunch before I went into the ring. Beanie was showing this morning, and I had promised to coach her, so I went off to find her and see if I already needed to calm her mother’s nerves.
The morning passed quickly. Beanie and Buttercup managed to take third place in their division. I saw Mary Maitland and spoke to her briefly, mentioning that Whitt might be stopping by later to watch me ride.
“That’s wonderful. He needs to get out more. Quinn is always telling me he thinks Whitt works too hard. Quinn’s really looking forward to having him join us for a hunt.”
“Whitt is about ready.”
She patted me on the arm. “Well, I know you’ll take care of him.” She gave me an enigmatic smile before heading over to a group of pony club members. I stared after her, my brows slightly drawn together before shaking off the feeling that Mary saw a lot more than she let on.
I needed to get Satin tacked and ready to go. As I did so, I was keeping an eye out for Whitt. I had already navigated the craziness of the warm-up ring when I finally saw him pull in. I felt a little breathless as I watched him get out of his car and was half-tempted to raise my hand and wave to him, but something held me back.
Whitt spotted Mary Maitland first, going over to talk with her for a few minutes before I finally saw her point in my direction. My heartbeat thudded as Whitt headed my way. He was dressed in khakis and paddock boots, a lightweight fleece vest thrown on top of a light blue dress shirt, his hair lifting slightly in the breeze. He looked good, as though he had been showing up at places like this his entire life.
I grinned at him as he drew closer.
“Hey,” I called out. “Thanks for coming.” What I wanted to do was jump off Satin so I could give him a hug and let him know
how much it meant that he had taken time out of his schedule to be here. So when Whitt stopped by Satin’s head, giving her a stroke on the cheek but staying out of touching distance of me, I was caught a little off guard.
“Everything okay? Did you find the place all right?” I shook my head with a smile before he could answer. “That’s stupid. You’re here.”
“Yeah.” He glanced at his watch. “How much longer do you think it will be before your ride?”
I glanced around the showgrounds, seeing a few people turned our way. Mary Maitland, Jordy, Beanie’s mom. As far as I knew, Whitt only knew Mary Maitland. Was that the cause of the return of the Whitt I had first met? I wasn’t going to jump to stupid conclusions, though, and this wasn’t the time to discuss it. I needed to keep in mind that he was busy. He had a lot of different business deals working.
“Fifteen minutes, max. There’s a concession stand over there if you want something to eat or drink. Steffy’s moms stock it, so there’s usually some homemade goodies.”
Whitt rolled his shoulders as if he was tired and tense. From where I was sitting, getting ready to go in the ring, there wasn’t a lot I could do to help him.
“I think I’ll get some coffee. You want anything?” For a second, he looked like the man I had been sleeping with every night for more than a week now.
“No. They’re getting ready to call my class.”
With a faint smile and a wave, he headed for the concession stand. For some reason I couldn’t quite pin down, that wave made my heart hurt. Whitt hadn’t come to watch me. Mr. Dailey had.
I ended up toward the end of the jumping order. Not always my favorite place to be, but it would give me a chance to study the course and maybe learn something from other people’s mistakes. Whitt had found a spot by himself on the far side of the ring, not far from the judge’s stand. When my number was finally announced, I trotted into the ring, halted, and saluted the judge.
Satin was all business today, not letting anything disturb her focus as she negotiated the course quickly and cleanly. This was what I had been working toward, the type of performance I was hoping to be able to get out of her. As we trotted out of the ring, I knew I was grinning from ear to ear. Instinctively, I headed around the ring to where Whitt was standing and jumped down to give Satin a few minutes rest. It looked like there would have to be a jump-off.
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