by K. M. Hill
She shifted in her seat and faced the Grand Prix ring putting her back to her.
He scooted his chair forward and put his hand on her right shoulder and whispered into her left ear.
“Sabrina. We were and will be again,” he said knowingly.
Zach’s first round was flawless. As he thought through his jump off course waiting for the second buzzer, he saw movement in the tent. His eyes were drawn to the table Sabrina was sitting at and with fury, he watched Troy lean in and whisper something in Sabrina’s ear. The buzzer went off to signal the start to his jump off round but he was engrossed with Sabrina and Troy. Sabrina didn’t seem to be reacting to whatever he was saying but it unnerved him nonetheless.
All of a sudden, he realized that the bell had gone off. That fucker, Zach thought. And off he went with wings. His horse gave him everything. Jumping clean, spinning back on turns that made him seem like a small motorcycle instead of a big horse. He jumped the last jump and the crowd went wild. He was an unfathomable five seconds ahead of the very fast time Scott had put in.
Because he was the last competitor and because he won, they kept him in the ring for the ceremony. He was pleased his horse went well but wanted to get away. His mind couldn’t shake the picture of Troy whispering intimately into Sabrina’s ear. He hopped off his horse, handed it to his groom and hopped on to his golf cart and took off.
Chapter 45
Sabrina rushed to try and catch Zach but he took off on his golf course. She didn’t say goodbye to Troy or Lillie other than a quick wave. She saw Troy’s was trying to get her attention but she jumped on her golf cart and took off after Zach.
She found him back at the stable working on the horse. He was wiping down the horses legs and putting ice packs on them. Giving them relief as soon as possible helped repair any strain on their ligaments and tendons from jumping such big jumps. Zach was vigilant about the horses. She found him in the stall and she stepped inside.
“Zach, that was amazing!” she said effusively.
He looked up at her.
“Thanks Sabrina,” he said without any emotion.
“Seriously, I cannot believe how fast you were,” she continued with her enthusiasm not catching his tone. Between his admission of her distracting him and his win, she thought they were back to being okay with each other.
“I’m surprised you could watch. You looked pretty distracted.” Zach said with edge.
That stopped her. “What are you talking about?”
“I saw how cozy you were with Troy at his table, with his hand on you, whispering into your ear. I know you are his finance but I have to tell you, it made me want to get off the horse and beat the shit out of him rather than do the jump off.” Zach spit out.
She had a sharp intake of breath. She didn’t realize he saw that. It was innocent on her part but she could see how it looked from the outside. His intense words about how he felt shocked her.
“Troy, he is not my fiancé.”
“He sure looks and acts like it. So does his family.”
“Zach, I told you they haven’t accepted it yet.”
“Have you Sabrina? Have you accepted it?” he demanded.
“Zach, you are being ridiculous,” she tried to brush him off.
With that, he was on her in a flash. He just couldn’t take it any more. Her scent, looking at her legs as he kneeled down at the horses' legs. It was just too much.
He had her pushed up against the stall and dove into her lips. He pushed his hands into her hair and pushed himself against her. She was surprised at first and quickly swept into his passion. He was going to be her undoing.
“Sabrina. I wanted you so badly last night. I want you now. You are killing me. “
He kissed her neck, eyes, nose, and lips.
“I want you too, Zach.”
He continued. “And then I saw you with him. And when I got back, I saw your bags here. It turned me upside down.”
“I have to catch a plane. I told you that last week.” She said softly.
“I forgot. Or wanted to forget,” he admitted.
He took her hand and stepped out of the stalls. The grooms tried hard to stay out of the way.
Her black town car arrived and her driver stepped out.
“Miss, you ordered a car to go to the airport?” the driver inquired.
“Yes, my bags are right there. I’ll be one moment.”
“When are you back?” Zach asked.
“I’m three days in New York for this meeting.”
“So back Wednesday night?” he confirmed.
“No, actually,” she stammered.
He could tell that she didn’t want to say the next thing. She was the most eloquent woman in the world until she was uncomfortable and then she stammered her way through what she had to say.
“Are you going some place after New York?” he probed.
“Yes. I have that wedding I am in. That’s next weekend.”
“The one in Hawaii,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Yes, that one.”
“The one that you are the maid of honor. And Troy is the best man. And Troy’s whole family is going to as well.” Zach pushed.
“Yes, but it’s not like that.” Sabrina insisted.
“Sabrina, I saw what it was like with my own eyes here. He’s in love with you still.” Zach said.
“Zach, I told you he didn’t want to break up.”
“How do you feel about him?” he asked pointedly.
“I broke up with him, remember?”
He studied her. He wanted to push her. He wanted to stop her from going. He wanted to tell her more what he was feeling. But he also didn’t want to pressure her.
He quietly gave her a kiss on her forehead and he walked her to the car. The driver opened her door. She stopped.
“Have a good meeting Sabrina. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do in Hawaii. I’ll be here when you get back. We should talk when you return.”
She didn’t want to leave. She felt so much was undone. So much was hanging in the air but she would miss her flight if she stayed any longer. She slipped inside the car and he closed the door.
She was so confused. She was leaving the man who excited her. The man that she was falling for in spite of what she told herself. But she was heading to a man that she had a history with and she had a life with previously. She had broken it off with Troy but she wondered if Zach wasn’t in her life, whether she would have gone back to him this past weekend.
A tear slid down her cheek. It’s good thing the windows were tinted, she thought.
Zach thought the same thing as he watched her car pull away. He was glad she didn’t have a clear picture of him. He was full of anguish knowing that he had fallen in love with Sabrina.
Come back to me, Sabrina. Please. Come back to me. He whispered.