by Kate Hill
“Half of my winnings from the race,” Terra said.
Inez’s jaw dropped. “Terra, you hardly ever place bets on anything, let alone that much!”
Terra grinned at Zach and said, “This was as close to a sure thing as I’ve ever seen. After you cool down, I’ll buy everybody lunch.”
“Yes.” Inez poked her husband playfully in the ribs. “You can well afford it.”
The couple walked off, leaving Sophia and Zach surrounded by several humans and Horsemen waiting to offer him congratulations. She nearly laughed aloud at his dazed expression. While pulling he had been the picture of confidence, but when faced with so much attention, he didn’t know what to do with himself. Sophia noted with irritation that many of the onlookers were female. The redheaded woman she’d seen earlier shoved her way to the front and stood close to Zach. Too close.
“That was the most stunning display of strength I’ve ever seen,” she said in a husky voice.
“Thanks,” Zach said, stepping back and tugging Sophia in front of him, his arms wrapping snugly around her. She bit her cheek to keep from laughing in the wench’s face. Zach’s message was clear to any other women in the crowd who shared the redhead’s attraction. He was a staked claim.
“I’ll know who to wager on next time, that’s for sure,” Henry said to Zach. “Nice work today.”
“Thank you,” Zach replied. For the next several moments, he accepted congratulations with quiet dignity before clasping Sophia’s hand and whispering in her ear, “I need to go for a swim.”
“Zach!”
He and Sophia turned to Frederick, who approached with a smile.
“Excellent pulling,” the auburn-haired Highlander said, extending his hand.
Zach shook it. “Not bad yourself.”
“You have plenty of power, boy. Where have you been hiding all these years? I haven’t seen you in any of the fairs.”
Zach looked uncomfortable. She knew he hated discussing the mines.
“Zach entered because I asked him to,” Sophia said. “He doesn’t generally like competition.”
“Even so, you might consider going to the fair in Red Bay down towards the tropics. They’re having a pulling competition there next week and the prize is a hundred gold pieces.”
“A hundred?” Zach’s brow furrowed and interest sparked his eyes.
“If I was able to enter, I wouldn’t have told you about it because I know you’d beat me for sure, but I have family duties to attend and can’t be there, so I thought I’d let you know.”
“Thank you very much.”
“If you do enter, let me give you a bit of advice, boy. It’s a big fair, much bigger than this, and not all of the competitors are honest. Watch your back.”
“I will.”
Fredrick nodded. “Good luck to you.”
As the Highlander walked away, apprehension gripped Sophia. “You really want to compete more, Zach?”
“Why not? If I can earn enough money, we can get married. How would you feel about me farming some of your land? It would be a good way to earn a living.”
“I think farming is a wonderful idea. There was no way I could run a farm and sew for a living.”
“I’d like to see if I can earn enough to get us some good equipment and seed. After that, I won’t need to compete anymore.”
Sophia’s brow furrowed. “You intend to do this for a while then? Compete, I mean?”
“You don’t want me to?” He caressed her cheek.
“It’s not that, but I’m afraid you might hurt yourself.”
Zach laughed. “My love, it’s what I’m built for. Do you have any idea how much work I did in the mines? I hurt myself then, not because I wanted to. I know my limits, Sophia. I just want a chance to make a life for myself so I can marry you and not feel useless.”
She slipped her arms around his waist and touched her lips to his chest. “You could never be useless, but I do understand. If this is what you want, then I’m behind you.”
“You are?”
She nodded then held up a finger. “But there is one condition.”
“What?”
“Take me with you wherever you go.”
Zach smiled, a full, beautiful smile that brightened his handsome face as he swept her into his arms and kissed her. “That’s not a condition, it’s a pleasure and an honor.”
“I love you,” she whispered in his ear.
“I love you, too.”
“Now let’s go swimming. You’re hot as hell.”
He headed for the lake, Sophia still snug in his arms.
Chapter Five
Sabotage
Sophia and Zach had a wonderful time at the fair. After the pulling competition, Terra treated them to a meal, as promised. Afterward, the two couples watched several of the humans racing their true-horses. When it came time for the crafts to be judged, Sophia’s quilt and needlework won second place. Zach seemed as pleased as she did. Terra and Inez left after congratulating her, as they needed to return to the village for Canyon.
She and Zach took his wagon to the cottage then they returned to the fairgrounds at dusk to enjoy more food and dancing by the light of bonfires.
The night was clear and warm as they headed for home, Sophia on Zach’s equine back.
“I had a wonderful time today,” she said, stroking his man-back and gripping his rock-hard shoulders.
He glanced at her. “So did I.”
“I’m still so proud of you for winning the pulling competition.”
A smile played around his lips before he turned his attention back to the moonlit road.
“Watching you was so exciting,” she continued, “far more exciting than the Carrier race.”
“You think so?”
“Gods, yes.” Sophia’s hands caressed his ribs and moved to his withers. She stroked his sleek coat as her knees gripped his sides more tightly. “I’ve never seen such power. All day I’ve been thinking about getting you into bed.”
“So have I,” he breathed, arching his head as she threaded her fingers through his hair.
His hooves clicked on stone as he turned onto the cobbled path leading to the cottage.
Inside, while she lit the lantern on the table, she felt the floor tremble. When she turned, Zach stood, naked, in his Huform. Her gaze raked his long, thickly muscled legs. Her belly quivered at the sight of his heavy balls and thick cock rising above them.
“Would you build a fire?” she asked, her heart fluttering. She could scarcely wait to be wrapped in his powerful arms and feel his tongue mating with hers.
Silently, he walked to the hearth. She stared at the strong lines of his shoulders, back, and legs as he stooped to kindle the flames. Her gaze fixed on his lower back. It was lean and covered with a faint down of hair. It looked like a normal human back, but she knew better. Somewhere, beneath skin and bone, was his Turning Point, the place that enabled him to shift shape, the most sensitive part of his entire body.
She approached, kneeling behind him and resting her palms against his lower back, rubbing gently. He seemed to freeze for a moment. The iron pike he’d been using to turn logs stopped moving. She felt him draw a deep breath when she touched her lips to the base of his spine. Her thumbs kneaded gently while her tongue lapped his lower back. A shiver seemed to rip from his head to his heels.
“Gods,” he groaned, bracing his hands on the stone fireplace.
She smiled as she continued licking and kissing his lower back while she slipped her arms around him, grasping his cock in one hand and his balls in the other. Nothing compared to the feeling of bringing this powerful Horsemen to the edge of passion. He could have snapped her arms with a flick of his fingers, yet his big, steely body quivered beneath her ministrations.
“Oh, Zach, I want you so much,” she murmured.
He turned suddenly and grasped her arms. He lowered her onto the circular rug and stretched out beside her. Gazing at her, he cupped first one breast then the other. He circled
her nipples with his thumb, bent his head and captured one dark pink tip between his lips.
Sophia closed her eyes and threaded her fingers through his hair. Zach’s lips tugged at one nipple then the other while his large, warm hand stroked her pelvis and parted her thighs.
One of his fingers slipped inside her, tenderly exploring. She moaned. It amazed her that a man so large and strong could be so gentle. Zach kissed every inch of her belly before crouching between her legs. He gripped her bottom and raised her lower half. Her legs draped over his shoulders as he covered her clit with his mouth.
“Oh, Zach. Gods, it feels so good!” she purred, her heart throbbing as he licked her sensitive nub. He changed position slightly and thrust his tongue into her pussy.
Sophia was on fire. She tried wiggling her hips, but his grip was firm. The sensations threatened to tear her to pieces, yet she longed for such exquisite destruction. A particularly long, delicate lick of his skilled tongue along the side of her clit sent her over the edge. She convulsed, gripping handfuls of his hair and crying his name.
When he swept her into his embrace, she looped her arms languidly around his neck, closing her eyes and resting her head against his shoulder. She expected him to carry her to the bed, so the sound of the door opening and the feeling of a warm summer breeze against her naked flesh surprised her.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
Smiling, he placed her on the tree stump just outside the front door.
“Lean back,” he said.
She did as he asked, her shoulders and back resting against the house. She smiled when he knelt in front of her, his mouth covering her clit. Already supersensitive from her last orgasm, it took seconds for her to respond to his lapping tongue. The sensations enveloping her body were almost too much, pleasure to the point of pain. Panting, her fingers gripped the stone side of the cottage.
The breeze caressed her heated body as his warm, wet tongue licked and his soft lips tugged at her clit. His hands seemed to be everywhere at once, stroking her breasts, squeezing her buttocks, caressing her thighs and the backs of her knees.
She mewled, writhing on the tree stump as she teetered on the verge of orgasm. Suddenly he clutched her bottom and tugged her up the length of his body. Impaling her on his steely cock, he supported her entirely, using his hands to move her hips and stimulate their pleasure.
Sophia marveled at his strength. Even when she knew by the raggedness of his breathing and the tension in his body that his orgasm loomed close, his arms never faltered in their motions.
“Zach!” she cried, her fingers gripping his shoulders, feeling the slickness of his skin as his passion grew. Between the warmth of the night and the heat generated by his marvelous Horseman physique, his flesh was quite hot and damp. His cock filled her pussy more than she ever imagined possible.
“Oh, Gods, Sophia!” he panted against her lips before claiming them in a fiery kiss. His tongue plunged into her mouth in time with his rapidly flexing arms as he pumped her drenched pussy over his cock.
She cried out, gripping him hard, waves of orgasm breaking over her. He trembled, his every muscle tense. Tearing his mouth from hers and panting, he came, holding her close, his hips pulsing, their pelvises pressed so close she didn’t know where her body ended and his began.
That’s how she wanted to feel for the rest of her life, as if she and this magnificent Highlander were one.
* * * * *
Less than a week later, Sophia and Zach headed south to the fair Frederick had mentioned. Sophia had never been to the tropics, but she’d heard stories about their incredible heat as well as their mysterious beauty.
She felt the heat before seeing the beauty. Halfway through the three-hour flight, she noticed the warm summer give way to powerful heat. Soon after, humidity closed around them like a fist. Zach’s man-torso and equine coat gleamed with sweat and Sophia felt warm beads trickle down her spine and beneath her breasts. She removed her shawl and stuffed it into the saddle pack.
“This saddle and blanket must be so uncomfortable in this weather.” She rested her hand on Zach’s sleek rump and lightly stroked his wet brown coat.
“It’s not so bad.” He shrugged, his wings beating and long legs swallowing miles of sky. “I love carrying you.”
“You do?” She smiled, her insides warming as she slipped her arms around him and squeezed, her palms caressing his chest.
His harness, draped across the front of the saddle, pressed into her, so she sat straighter.
“Are you nervous about the competition tomorrow?”
Zach shook his head. “I’m more worried about what Frederick told me about the lack of sportsmanship. According to him, those Horsemen would break each other’s legs to win.”
“I don’t know how they can feel proud to win if they cheat.”
“It’s the prize money. It has to be. But I agree with you. If I can’t win on my own merit then I don’t want any part of the money.”
“Frederick seemed to think you have a good chance of winning.”
“Sometimes my strength is the only thing I’m certain of. It’s all I have.”
“That’s not true. You’re a better man than you know, Zach.”
“My strength attracted you. What if I didn’t have it?”
“I love you more for your strength of character than for your physical power. I can’t deny it’s attractive, but if you lost your strength tomorrow, I’d love you.”
He tossed her a look over his shoulder that said he didn’t quite believe her.
In the distance, clusters of houses and barns littered the grassy hillside. The city was larger than any Sophia or Zach had ever been to. She felt a little apprehensive as he circled above a Running Way which Horsemen used for takeoffs and landings.
Several other Horsemen strode over the Running Way as Zach landed and trotted off to the perimeter to stay out of the way of those galloping for takeoff.
“Once I cool down we can look for an inn,” Zach said, only slightly breathless after the long flight. Though he hadn’t traveled particularly fast, it had seemed phenomenal to Sophia. She wondered how Inez could stand the excitement of riding a speedy Fighting Carrier like Terra. It must have been like sitting on a bolt of lightning, whereas Zach was like riding thunder. She felt his enormous, steely muscles bunch and ripple with his every movement. Even when relaxed, his body appeared chiseled and perfectly defined.
Sophia dismounted and walked alongside Zach. The weather was so hot that it seemed to take forever for his body temperature to drop to anywhere near normal.
“This heat is terrible,” she said as they headed towards the tack house a short distance from the Running Way. A lanky young Horseman, little more than a child, waited at the door to collect the storage fee.
“You can have your own box for five copper pieces,” the youth said, “or you can store your tack in the common box for two.”
“We’ll take our own,” Zach said, paying the boy.
The youth took the money and selected one of the keys hanging from several hooks on the wall behind him. “You can take the sixth box down on the left.”
Zach grasped the key and took Sophia’s hand as they entered the tack house. The sound of conversation, hooves striking wood, and creaking leather echoed through the long, dim building. The scent of sweat and salve hung in the air. Sophia clung tightly to Zach’s hand, an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach.
There were so many people and so much noise. She’d always lived in small towns where almost everyone knew one another. Here most people ignored each other and those who did bother looking wore wary expressions.
As they paused outside Zach’s box, which was really just one of the small rooms dividing the house, two burly Horsemen approached. Both had brown hair and tanned skin. One had a bay coat, the other light brown.
“You’re entering the competition?” the one with the bay coat asked Zach.
“Yes.” He glanced at them,
his expression careful, his jaw set.
“What’s your name? I’ve never seen you and I’ve pulled at most of the fairs from here to the north,” said the brown-coated Horseman.
“Zach.”
The brown’s forehead creased as he exchanged a look with his friend and said, “Well, good luck to you, Zach.”
“You as well.” Zach sounded as sincere as the brown-coated one had. He pushed open the box door and Sophia nearly gagged when she stepped inside. The place smelled like the last occupant had never washed in his life.
“You know what,” Zach said, “I think I’ll bring my tack to the inn.”
Sophia wrinkled her nose. “I don’t blame you. This is disgusting. Not at all like the tack house in Hornview. I’ve been there with Inez and at least it’s clean.”
“That’s because it’s run by Hornview’s regular Carriers. This is just a place to hang your harness and go. I ain’t hanging my harness, but I sure as hell am going.”
Sophia followed him back down the corridor. Again they met the bay and the brown.
“Did you happen to compete in Hornview recently?” asked the brown coat.
“Yes,” Zach replied.
“I knew it.” The man grinned.
“We’ve heard about you,” the bay said. “You pulled quite a lot, at least for a small village fair.”
“It’ll be tougher here, but you might do well,” said the brown.
“That’s what I’m here for.” Zach brushed past them, gently grasping Sophia’s upper arm as they left.
Outside, they spoke with the youth who said by his employer’s order he could not refund any fees paid. Sophia’s teeth gritted and she resisted the urge to cause a scene. By the expression on Zach’s face, he didn’t like the idea of paying for nothing, either. He asked directions to an inn. As they walked along the cobbled streets, Zach muttered, “If I’d have known this place would be so lousy, I never would have taken you with me.”
“Our agreement is that I go everywhere with you.”
“I don’t want you living in a place like this even for a moment.”
“I’m not worried.” She pressed close to his side and gazed up at him. “I feel safe with you.”