by Rhavensfyre
***
Dani had woken up when the bed shifted underneath her, but stayed quiet when she realized what was going on. It was more fun playing possum while she watched Allyse through slitted eyes, trying to skulk out from under the cover’s like a one night stand trying to escape a coyote date. She wasn’t a huge looker, but she was nowhere near paper bag worthy either so she was able to enjoy Allyse’s attempts to untangle herself with a great deal of amusement.
“Good morning, Allyse. Trying to run away?” Dani drawled, unable to maintain the charade any longer. It had been damn hard keeping her breathing shallow and rhythmic while she was trying to hold her breath. If she hadn’t she would have started giggling, something she considered highly undignified for someone like her. Despite the early hour, her morning humor was surprisingly well developed today. She really wasn't that awake yet, but she was awake enough to catch the guilty blush creeping across Allyse's cheeks—the rosy red color complimented the sunrise shining through the bedroom window quite nicely.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want things to be awkward,” Allyse mumbled before giving up the fight with the tangled blankets. Evidently, they didn’t want her to leave just yet. Adopting a more dignified pose, she plucked at the stubborn bedding and wished it could feel the painful pinches she was subjecting it to. How dare it embarrass her like that!
“I’m fine. Actually, I slept great,” Dani replied, gallantly untangling her from the blankets.
“Me too.” Even without coffee, she was wide awake and ready to start her day. That wasn’t surprising. She was always one of those early risers who could function immediately, even before she was up on her feet and moving. What did surprise Allyse was her accidental bedmate. Dani was awake this morning way before her normal time. The amber light shining through the window hadn’t paled to the full on intensity of late-morning that Dani seemed programmed for. Basically, Dani started her day at brunch, while Allyse was a quick bagel or yogurt at the break of dawn type. And just how will that work once you’re back in New York, hmm? A pessimistic earworm tried to wiggle its way into her thoughts but she refused to listen. It was way too early in the game to start creating problems where there might not be any.
“Why don’t you go back to sleep, my dear. You still have another hour at least.”
“Sounds good to me,” Dani mumbled, then drifted back to sleep. Allyse smiled knowingly. Of course she wouldn’t refuse that offer. Dani had her quirks, and as long as she didn’t try to filter them through her New York City mentality, they were quite endearing. Besides, she was still healing and sleep helped. She leaned over and lightly kissed Dani's cheek.
“Mmm.” Dani sighed softly in her sleep, her full lips curving up into a pleased smile before turning on her side and curling up around her pillow.
Callie popped up from her spot at the foot of Dani’s bed and followed her down the stairs. The tappity tap of toenails dancing on the wood floors was almost frantic as she ran back and forth between her and the door, her tail wagging and tongue lolling in a hopeful doggy smile. Even her eyes watered. “Poor pup.”
Callie made a beeline for the door as soon as it was cracked open enough for her to squeeze by and Allyse followed close behind. Out on the covered porch, she took several deep breaths. The cool morning air held an even sharper tang where she stood beneath the wood and metal awning. It tasted like dawn, slightly metallic with a hint of moonlight and couched in mist—the kind that clung to the grass and low places and made the air feel heavy.
Something warm brushed against her thigh. She looked down and found Callie pressed there, staring up at her. She had hauled back from doing her doggy business and was working Allyse with those big brown eyes of hers. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Only then did Allyse realize she was still running around in her nightclothes.
“Brrr. Maybe I should wear something a little more substantial next time, huh, girl? Maybe some shoes, or something fluffy and soft, hmm?” Callie just wiggled and licked her chops. “Alright, let’s get you some breakfast.” Callie spun away and nosed the door handle then looked back at her as if to say ‘alright then, come along if you’re serious.’ Allyse chuckled at the dog then at herself. She was always thinking of excuses to go shopping for clothes.
She ran back upstairs and quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a loose button down shirt then checked out the unusual look in the bathroom mirror.
“At least I look the part,” she muttered. The woman staring back at her looked confident, but she was still a bit worried about how she would fare on the back of a horse. All she knew was she wasn’t in a huge hurry to get Dani moving this morning, which she chalked up to a bad case of nerves. The last thing she did was take her morning medication before heading back downstairs. If the way her pulse jumped every time she even thought of getting near a horse was any indication of how the day was going to go, she was going to need her heart pills. She contemplated making some coffee, but she knew from yesterday that the aromatic scent would drift upstairs and wake Dani up, and she sure wasn’t going to drink any this morning. Kindle in hand, she settled down at the table with a cup of tea instead.
Idly sipping the warm brew while she read, she found herself paying less attention to the words on the screen and more on last night. She couldn’t believe how well she had slept, or that Dani didn’t seem to be the least bit awkward about her falling asleep in her bed. Other than an occasional late night when the girls would fall asleep watching TV in her room, Allyse hadn’t shared her bed with anyone in years.
She put down the Kindle. She had too much to think about to enjoy casual reading so she just sipped her tea and gazed out at the pastoral setting. It was beautiful to look at, but not nearly as beautiful as the woman she had left sleeping upstairs. She missed her already, and that thought made her glance down at her watch. Fueled by the promise of an appearance by her sleepyhead of a hostess and real caffeine, she stood up and started making a fresh pot of coffee.
***
Dani stumbled down the stairs almost immediately. Led by her nose like a scent hound on a rabbit. Allyse had no idea where that thought came from. She had probably overheard Dani say it, but it still made her giggle in a most unbecoming manner.
“Who are you and what have you done to my snooty New York City houseguest?” Dani squinted suspiciously at the woman sitting at her table. Allyse stopped giggling and gave her a look Dani could only describe as the stink-eye.
Snooty, huh?
“What is the purpose of that thing you wear?” she asked in her best boardroom voice. She waved her hand at the same butchered and armless hooded sweatshirt Dani had worn the other day. Dani was fully dressed, right down to the boots, leading Allyse to believe that the sleeveless hoody was staying on for the day
“It’s my favorite hoody, and it comforts me. Uncle Jay gave it to me when I first got here. He wanted to let me know I still had family. See here, it has our family crest on it. It was huge on me when I was a child.” Dani could still remember how it hung almost to her knees the first time she put it on, but she didn’t care. She wore it as much as possible. When Uncle Jay proclaimed it unfit for public wear, it became her favorite bump around hoody for around the house. After he died, it was introduced back to the world of sunlight and polite society. Without Jay around, Dani cast aside the restrictions on where and when she could wear the tattered rag. Over the years it started to carry more holes than fabric, looking more like a blue bit of Swiss cheese in a few places, but she didn’t care one bit.
“I see,” Allyse murmured. After hearing Dani’s story, Allyse realized she would never think of Dani’s favorite hoody as a wearable rag again—even if she did look like a ragamuffin wearing it.
“Hmpph. I know you’re in the business, but for most of us clothes are just clothes. Clothes keep us warm and decent for company.”
Allyse didn’t have to pretend to be shocked. She sputtered, eyes wide in disbelief. “Why that’s just fashion blasphemy!”
Dani just sniggered. “Hey, when you deal with horse snot every day…and worse things you might see clothes in a whole new light,” she added, thankfully not listing what could be worse than horse snot at the breakfast table.
“Erick would be appalled to hear you say that.”
“Yeah, he frequently is.” Dani grinned. “That’s part of the fun.”
“Speaking of clothes that are just clothes. Do you have a t-shirt I can borrow?”
“Did that hurt to say?” Dani’s eyes flashed in amusement.
“Yes. A little,” Allyse admitted, shaking her head. “But I didn’t think to get any and this,” she plucked at her button down shirt, “doesn’t seem as practical as I thought it would be this morning.”
“I just thought you were going for some new chic look. Maybe I should have checked your purchases a little closer. It’s a cute shirt, but it’s more for going out on the town than for practical, every day wear.” Dani eyed the fancy shirt Allyse was wearing. Thanks to Erick's frequent shopping sprees she had some very similar items hiding deep inside her closet.
“Well, if anyone could make horseback riding more chic, it would be me.” Allyse twisted her wrist elegantly, like a queen calling to her attendants.
“I might have to agree with you. Meanwhile, if you need a different shirt I have plenty in my dresser. Go on up and help yourself while I finish this.” Dani raised her mug. “You are still game for a ride today, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am.”
Allyse headed upstairs to find something else to wear soon after that and Callie stayed with Dani, sucking up to her owner by laying her head on Dani's thigh and begging for a good scratch behind the ears. “Hey pretty girl, do you want to go with us today?” She chuckled when Callie sneezed in response. Callie was always up for a long ride. She got to chase squirrels and pretend to be a guard dog, ranging ahead to check out the trail with a great sense of self importance.
***
Allyse felt strange walking into Dani’s empty bedroom, she just couldn’t put a firm finger down on why. She headed for the low dresser against the near wall. Dani said the t-shirts were there, but she had neglected to tell her which drawer. The dark wood matched the headboard of Dani’s bed exactly, and despite being obviously old it was in impeccable condition. She ran her fingers along the smooth surface, admiring the workmanship and details, down to the soft patina of the antique bronze pulls. It was a beautiful piece. Much like the rest of the furniture it matched the period flavor of the house. It just seemed like an odd choice in style for a young woman like Dani and she wondered if it was Jay and Erick’s influence she was seeing.
She started with the closest drawer and found nothing but underwear, bras and a blush. It wasn’t until her third attempt that she struck pay dirt. An entire drawer of t-shirts, tidily folded and stacked with near military precision. She hadn’t expected that. She thumbed through them, finding a few plain ones mixed in with a bunch that were imprinted. She chose a couple of the smaller ones with the Saxon farm crest on it then stood there for a second. Her fingers itched to move to the next drawer, even though she had found what she was looking for her curiosity got the best of her and she reached for the drawer pulls.
So far, Erick’s influence seemed to have been relegated to the home décor. She was interested to see if Dani truly was an all day, every day jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. She found jeans in various stages of fading in the next one and then...oh my! Slamming the drawer shut, she hurried out of the room as fast as she could, cheeks burning and mind reeling at the unexpected find. Safe in her own room, she ran to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face before throwing on one of the borrowed shirts. A quick check in the bathroom mirror revealed overly bright eyes, but at least her cheeks weren’t flaming red anymore. She still felt hot, and maybe a little overheated, but she couldn’t hide in her room all morning until she had a chance to calm down. Dani was expecting her.
***
Allyse had chosen one of her farm t-shirts, Dani noticed the minute she came back down. She liked that, a lot. She also noticed that Allyse looked a bit flushed and was avoiding looking at her. A fever? No, she would have told me if she wasn’t feeling well. Something had to have happened to turn Ms. Socialite into a shy Nelly. I wonder?
“Did you find what you needed?” she drawled, a slow smirk creeping across her face.
“Um, yes I did.” Allyse stopped dead in her tracks.
“So you found some that would fit? I know I have a lot to choose from,” Dani continued, unable to stop toying with the other woman. Toying being the operative word, she thought, thoroughly enjoying herself in an utterly wicked way. Serves her right, going through all my drawers like that.
Allyse blushed beat red. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Dani wasn't ready to stop, not yet. It was immensely fun to tease Allyse. “Find anything else, um…you might be interested in?” She couldn’t hide her smirk anymore, not when it kept making her lips and cheek twitch madly. She stroked the corners of her mouth with her thumb and forefinger much like a man shaping his mustache would do, trying to straighten her face before Allyse noticed and the game was ruined.
“You are rotten.” Allyse exclaimed. Dani’s leering grin had transformed her face into something decidedly bacchanalian. Allyse’s own personal Puck, a joyful trickster to the very end.
“And you are a snoop.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s all good.” Dani waved the apology off with a casual flick of her slim wrist. “So are you ready to go riding?” She paused and winked. “And I do mean horseback riding.”
“Please stop. I won’t snoop anymore, I promise.” Allyse was laughing so hard she had to grab her side. The sharp, stitch like pain stabbing her insides like a satirist’s pen was obviously her punishment for misbehaving.
Dani approached Allyse with a gleam in her eye that should have warned her of the mischief lurking there. “Sure you will. I have nothing to hide.”
“What? I never said…” Allyse stuttered. Dani was too close. It made it hard to think. Did she mean she believed her when she said she wouldn’t snoop again, or was she telling her she was sure she would succumb to snooping again?
Before she could ask, she found her back firmly pressed against the wall behind her. Dani’s lean body was pressed against her front. Golden brown eyes glowed softly in the morning light, contemplating something devious. Dani leaned down and kissed Allyse more tenderly than the intimate posture should have required. Full lips pressed against hers, silken and warm and teasing as Dani drew Allyse’s lower lip between hers and nibbled gently. Allyse sighed into that blissful kiss, bringing her arms up and around Dani’s neck to draw her in tighter. Just as her fingers found the short tresses curling softly along Dani’s neck, the other woman pulled away from the embrace.
“I won’t ask if you liked what you saw. I think we both know the answer to that.” Dani left her that way, heart pounding in her chest and the sweet taste of Dani’s lips on her own while she went in search of her cowboy hat.
“You ready to go?” Dani popped her head back into the kitchen. Allyse nodded and peeled herself off the wall. Dani didn’t seem to be in the mood to chat while they walked, which meant Allyse had plenty of time to think about the last twenty-four hours on her way to the barn. She thought she had been the one in control of this whole dating thing until this morning.
Listening to Dani moan in delight over her morning coffee had been nothing short of audible torture, but that was nothing compared to what had followed. Thanks to that kiss, last night’s relatively G rated sleepover was being subjected to a mental edit, transforming into something definitely not rated for audiences of all ages. She wanted to hear Dani moan over her, through her, and under her in any order she desired.
When she caught Dani watching her, she wondered how obvious her thoughts were. She felt like every delicate emotion was being written all over her face in a bold script t
hat Dani seemed to understand far too intuitively. How she would explain away a face that was considering all the ways she could make Dani moan in passion? Allyse groaned. She had to stop thinking about it all or she was going to self-combust. With a huge mental shove, she managed to tuck all those succulent thoughts as far away as possible, which was a good thing considering what happened next. By the end of the day she wanted to beat all of those romance writers who thought it was fun to over-romanticize sex in the saddle. Just being aroused and stuck in a saddle was hard enough, she couldn’t imagine actually trying to do anything while bouncing around on what was essentially a hardwood chair covered in leather that you were expected to do the splits on just to stay put.
***
Boredom took care of any residual problem Allyse was worried about. She was finally allowed to get on an actual horse after a very lengthy lesson of do’s and don’ts from Dani, who was all business and no pleasure now that she was teaching. Allyse knew she was in safe hands, literally, since right now those hands were resting on her leg helping her get a proper stirrup fit and length. She could feel the heat from Dani's hand through her jeans when she placed it on her thigh and it did absolutely nothing for her—not in her present state of mind.
“Does that feel comfortable?”
“I guess,” Allyse gritted out between clenched teeth. She had a death grip on the saddle horn with both hands that, despite turning her knuckles white, was ineffective in leaving any sort of impression on the hard leather.
“Allyse, you need to loosen up or you’ll make Dylan nervous. He’s going to think you’re responding to something scary out there.” Dani’s voice was low and maintained an easygoing, even tone that oozed self-confidence and calm.