by J. P. Oliver
“That’s more like it,” Whitt murmured, sliding a hand between us until his fingers inched over my bare stomach. He unbuttoned my shirt. And his own. In seconds, we were skin to skin, our chests pressing together.
It would be so easy to give into this, to let go and reach for that final barrier separating us. Whitt’s slow, drugging kisses to my mouth, my jaw, the side of my neck ratcheted up my desire to let him do whatever he wanted.
But always, in the back of my mind, logic whispered. The voice now telling me not only was the back of the limo not the place to take this to the next level, but the time also wasn’t right either.
Regretfully, I pulled back. Whitt instantly lifted his weight off me and sat.
“What’s the matter, Reece? Was I getting the wrong message from you?”
I shook my head. “You’re very attractive.”
Whitt glanced sideways at me. “I hear a but in there.”
I laughed. “My body is dying for this, to feel you rubbing against me, smell your scent all over me, and taste the wine from dinner on your lips, but I’m not ready.”
Whitt began buttoning his shirt as though he was doing nothing more than getting dressed in the morning. When I put my hand on his arm, he gave me a look that nearly broke my heart. He thought it was something he had done. No, worse than that, he thought it was him. It was there in every shift of his body and expression.
“It’s not you. Not anything you’ve done or who you are.” I grabbed his hand and pressed it against the ridge of my erection. “I want you. I can’t hide that, but my mind’s not ready yet.”
The limo slowed and stopped. With a shock I realized we had arrived home. I felt a bit like Cinderella must have. “I need to go. Alone. I’ll see you in the morning.”
I opened the door, ignoring the driver who was hustling to get out, and jogged up the front steps. Like the coward I felt myself to be, I didn’t stop until I had the door to my room firmly closed behind me. The person who had always latched on to the casual hookup, I now leaned against the door at my back and blew out a frustrated sigh.
I had some serious thinking to do about Whitt. I couldn’t let myself fall for him when it might jeopardize everything I had ever wanted. And yet, how could I not?
13
Whitt
As I hurried to the stables the next morning, I realized how much I was looking forward to it. The riding was a huge draw, but now the anticipation of seeing Reece again added to my eagerness. Maybe a little anxiety too. I wanted to take him at face value, believe his refusal to go to bed with me was truly not a function of me.
Reece had certainly responded as though he was interested. Would he still feel that way this morning? Of course, the other question was what I needed to do to convince him he belonged in my bed.
My strides slowed as I drew nearer the barn, and my heart pounded in my chest. Reece’s trailer was hooked to his truck. Fuck. Had I scared him away? My steps now weighted with dread, I rounded the trailer to find Reece standing with Ricky in the barn aisle laughing at Ripper desperately seeking a mouse with his keen terrier nose. Reece turned at my approach. Something in my expression must have clued him in to where my thoughts had gone.
He hurried forward, grabbing my arm with a reassuring grin. “We’re taking the next step in your riding education this morning.”
“We are?” My voice might have been a bit faint from the relief pouring through me.
“Yep. It’s time to take off the training wheels and do a test ride in one of the hunt territories. We’re headed to an area where there are gates next to every jump. I want you to decide whether you’re ready to try jumping.” He turned me so I could see the two horses already loaded on the trailer. “Grab your hard hat and chaps, and we’ll be ready to go.”
Once we were in the truck with the doors shut, Reece slid his arm along the back of the seat and leaned over to kiss me. I tasted his morning coffee and a hint of minty toothpaste. I moaned with relief. We were okay. He leaned back, holding my gaze.
“Did you think I was running out on you?”
Heat flooded my cheeks. “I was afraid I’d scared you off.”
“Hardly.” Reece shook his head. “Shit. I’m sorry. I should have said something about this last night. I was already thinking about it, but I forgot. You had me so wound up, all I could think about was kissing you and feeling you pressed against me.”
“It’s all right. I was an idiot to jump to conclusions. A hazard of my past, I guess.” My heart settled, the tightness gone from my chest. Instead, warmth filled me. “How far a drive do we have?”
“About twenty minutes. The farm we’re exploring is one of the oldest hunting territories for the Maysburg Hounds. We’ll take things nice and easy. No pressure.”
I settled back in my seat and watched the scenery fly by. In a few minutes, Reece turned the truck and trailer along a narrow gravel drive surrounded by trees. About the time I was going to admit that thick woods weren’t exactly what I had pictured when I thought about going foxhunting, we rounded a curve in the road. The woods ceased, and a vast expanse of undulating pastures opened before us with a barn a few yards away. High on a hill sat a rambling home that must command the most amazing views imaginable.
“We’re here.” Reece grinned and put the truck in park.
Since the horses were already saddled, all we had to do was slip on bridles, make sure everything was adjusted, and we were ready to go. Reece led the way along a broad trail that curved through hardwoods softening from the green of summer into a wide array of autumn colors. When he caught me looking over my shoulder at the wide, verdant pastures, he said, “We’ll come that way when we head back in.”
“You know your way around this?”
“I got some pointers from a friend who’s a lot more familiar with it.”
I discovered pretty quickly that Bondage was more than happy to follow his stablemate anywhere she led. All I needed to do was concentrate on me. After the first small jump where my stomach had leaped light years ahead of the rest of me, I put my trust in my horse.
Reece slowed until I came alongside on a wide part of the trail. “You’re doing fantastic, Whitt.”
He leaned over and squeezed my thigh. When our gazes met this time, neither one of us made any effort to hide the heat bubbling below the surface. Last night might not have been the right time, but it sure as hell seemed as though Reece had decided he was ready to move things forward today.
“Hallo!” The deep, masculine voice calling to us from farther along the trail was familiar. I shifted Bondage slightly away from Reece and Trixie, breaking the contact of his hand with my leg as Quinn and Mary Maitland trotted toward us on matching grays.
“Good to see you out, Whitt.” Quinn’s gaze shifted from me to Reece. “Are we interrupting a training session?”
Reece’s smile was casual. A lot more casual than I felt. “We are training, but you’re absolutely no interruption. In fact, having more horses along for the ride would help Whitt learn the skills he’ll need in the hunt field.”
Taking his cue, I asked, “Would you care to join us?”
“Delighted to,” Quinn said. “We were out for a leisurely ride. I assume that agrees with you?”
Reece nodded. “That would be fantastic. I’d like Whitt and Bondage to have an opportunity to take some fences without the pressure of a crowd of riders waiting to jump.”
Quinn ended up in the lead. That suited me fine. I wasn’t prepared to talk business. It surprised me to realize, I halfway resented having to share this time with Reece. However, I did still have a great view of his ass in the saddle.
“You and Reece seem to get along very well.” Mary Maitland walked her horse next to me, a polite smile on her face and keen awareness in her gaze.
“He’s a good friend,” I responded, faint stress on the word friend. I was treading on dangerous ground here. “And a consummate professional. Without his training, I definitely wouldn’t be here right
now.”
“Close friends are important,” Mary said. “It’s what keeps us human. I consider Quinn one of my closest friends, even if we are married,” she added with a laugh.
I had little doubt Mary Maitland saw much more than her husband did when it came to Reece and me. The thought crossed my mind she might say something of her suspicions to him. I pushed away the uneasiness that created. I could explain it. Reece was my trainer, an employee. Teaching me to ride necessitated closer than normal contact.
The idea I felt the need to explain it away made me shift in the saddle. I was ready to take the next step with Reece. Wanted to quite desperately, in fact, but I wanted it to be in private. There was too much at stake right now to add the publicity any relationship I started would spark.
Maysburg had been my haven, a place where I could escape the notice of gossip columnists and the endless speculation about my private life. I wanted it to remain that way. I had been careful never to provide any fodder but look where that had landed me—in an emergency room with chest pains.
Eventually, we wound our way around on the trails until we entered the pastures from the opposite side as Reece had said we would. In the distance, I saw the barn and his trailer nearby. Quinn had halted ahead.
“I’m afraid this is where Mary and I will have to say farewell. Our farm is ahead on the left, and you two need to cross here.” He tipped his hat at me. “You’re doing fantastic, Whitt. I look forward to hunting with you. Expect a call tomorrow so we can begin looking over personal information.”
“Of course.” I extended my hand to Mary, “Thank you for the company and the encouragement.”
She smiled. “It’s my pleasure to see you so relaxed for a change.”
After they trotted away, Reece regarded me with a somewhat distant smile. “You did well. We have one last jump coming in. That small coop in the fence. There is a gate next to it, but I think you should try leading over this one.”
“Okay.”
As we dismounted next to the trailer, I studied Reece surreptitiously. His expression was downright remote.
“Is something the matter?” I asked quietly.
Reece put both saddles on racks in the small tack area at the front of the trailer. “I overheard your conversation with Mary Maitland.”
I leaned against the truck fender, crossing my arms over my chest. “And?”
Reece’s blue eyes were clouded, his jaw tight. “I’m confused. Last night you were all over me, as though you couldn’t get enough of me. Today, you’re telling Mary Maitland that we’re just friends and what a professional I am.”
He smacked the Nationals cap he had in his hand against the side of the trailer. “What the fuck do you want from me, Whitt?”
Behind the surface anger, he couldn’t quite hide his hurt.
“I’m sorry.” I didn’t want to cause him pain. “This is all new to me, and I feel as though I’m in a tough spot. Quinn Maitland has a conservative reputation. Going public with the two of us right now could be problematic.”
Reece slumped, his back against the trailer. “For your business deal.”
“Yes.” I scuffed the toe of my boot in the gravel. “It won’t be much longer, and then I promise things will change. I’ll have more time for us.”
The look Reece gave me wasn’t quite as gloomy as before. I could see he was trying to compromise. Finally, he shrugged. “Your business deal. My preoccupation with Satin. I guess we’re both in the same boat…or riding ring.”
Relief made me laugh. “Exactly. Let’s go home.”
The day had warmed, and we drove the country roads with the windows open and the early fall breeze flowing through the truck cab.
“Thanks for doing this today, Reece,” I said as he turned into the drive to the house. “It was awesome.”
He glanced sideways flashing me a half grin. “You were awesome.”
I smiled as I stared out the windshield. “I was, wasn’t I? Awesome equestrian Whitt Dailey.”
“Brilliant banker and jumping genius.”
We both laughed.
He maneuvered the trailer and backed it to the barn aisle. I jumped from the truck. “What can I do to help?”
“Untie their heads but hold the leads until I lower the ramp.”
In a few minutes, we had horses unloaded and hosed off before letting them spend some time turned out on pasture.
“Help me with the tack,” Reece said over his shoulder. I followed behind him, my eyes riveted to the easy swing of his lean hips and the roll of his shoulders. He moved with the grace of an athlete rather than any deliberate attempt to seduce me. I blew out a puff of air. He was definitely a man to take my breath away. Whether he intended to didn’t matter. My body was on fire. The entire ride today had made Reece even more appealing professionally, personally, and definitely sexually.
Aaanndd, he totally busted me staring at him. His brow arched. “See anything interesting?”
“Very interesting.”
He handed me my saddle and bridle with a smirk. “Take these.”
He was right on my heels as we entered the tack room. As I slipped the saddle onto its rack, I heard the snick of the door shutting behind me. I hung the bridle on its hook and turned slowly. Reece had taken off his ball cap and was running his fingers through his hair.
“Could the consummate professional horse trainer get a kiss from the awesome equestrian and brilliant banker?”
So exactly what I needed. I sucked in a deep breath. “Hell, yes.”
We met in the middle of the room, our arms going around each other and our mouths meshing together in a kiss that was as hot and demanding as anything I could have ever wanted.
“You have no idea,” I grated between kisses, “how it turned me on to watch your ass on that horse while you went over fences in front of me.”
Reece kissed along my jaw. “Does it make you horny now, thinking about it?”
For my answer, I yanked his hips into mine and rotated my pelvis against him. The ridge of his cock was as hard against me as mine must have been against him. I kissed him again, yanking his shirt free of his jeans, desperate to get my hand in his pants. When I grabbed his belt, I pulled back enough to look into his face.
“I want your cock in my hand. You okay with that?”
He nodded. “But only if I can return the favor.”
Belt buckles jangled, and zippers rasped open. In seconds that lasted an eternity, our hands found what we both craved. As I wrapped my hand around the silkiness of his rigid cock, his fingers closed around me with a delicious pressure that made me ache.
“Where’s Ricky?” I whispered against his lips.
“Not coming back until afternoon feeding.” He moved his hand up and down my length, making my cock jerk and my balls tighten. Why did all of this feel so right with Reece in a way it never had with anyone else?
I skated my thumb across his slit, feeling the moisture already leaking. I wanted him in my mouth but was afraid to push for too much. The limo had spooked him. While he seemed much more comfortable in the stable, I still didn’t want to scare him away, so I moved my hand with an easy rhythm, using the moisture of his precum for lubrication.
Reece panted in my ear, his hand mimicking my movements until we were both gasping. I grabbed the back of his neck with my free hand and pulled him in for another ravenous, open-mouthed kiss. There would be no backing out now. We were both too committed. Whatever doubts he might have, being on his own turf seemed to diminish them. Was it wrong to take advantage of that?
“Fuck,” he cried out, leaning more weight on me as his orgasm exploded. The feel of him all over my hand sent me over the edge and I came in several strong spurts. We leaned our foreheads together while our breathing returned to normal.
Reece began to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” I asked pulling a handkerchief from my back pocket and offering it to him.
“I turned you down in a limo only to end up do
ing it in a stable.”
14
Reece
Whitt stared at me, looking well and truly fucked, before he burst out laughing. “I see your point, but it’s not exactly like we’ve done the deed.”
We cleaned up and righted our clothing. I was relieved to feel the tension had dissipated. Whitt was more relaxed right now than I had ever seen him, and all I could think about was how very much I wanted him.
He pushed his dark hair off his forehead. “I have some business to take care of this afternoon, but I would like you to join me for drinks and dinner later.”
“All right. Are we going out?”
Whitt stepped in and touched his lips to mine. “I thought we could relax at home.”
He gave me a long look before leaving the barn to return to the house. I watched him go, my gaze glued to the easy way he moved, almost catlike in its grace. I was more attracted to Whitt Dailey than I could ever remember being to another man. It wasn’t the money or power. It was the man who looked at me with those clear gray eyes and asked me if I had any idea how few people he’d been able to count on as friends.
It touched me—he touched me—in ways that made my heart swell. Ripper stood on his hind legs, bracing against my knee and drawing my attention away from Whitt. I grinned into his bright, intelligent gaze.
“You’re still my best fur buddy,” I told him. His short tail wagged furiously. “Let’s have a fantastic rest of the day.”
I scooped him up and crossed the aisle to the small office where I kept track of the barn’s accounts. I did it the old-fashioned way, the way my dad had taught me, with a ledger and a calculator. I never wanted there to be any questions about how I spent Whitt’s money, not that I thought there would be.
Somehow, I got through the afternoon, even managing a ride on Satin and a lesson with Beanie. But in the back of my mind, Whitt lurked. Even memories of his scent teased me. I couldn’t wait until dinner. I think Ricky suspected something, judging by his shit-eating grin when I said I needed to leave early.