"We have some cabins that our staff live in, off behind the kennels. There’s about five people working here, and I have a house keeper who comes out once a week to help with the house. I'll introduce you to everyone when you're ready." He grabbed her bags from the back as they got out of the truck.
Amy followed him up the stairs onto the porch and through the doors into the kitchen. White tiles shined across the floor, with dark wood cabinets and counter tops to offset the light walls and flooring. Stainless steel appliances gave the kitchen an updated farm look.
He took her out of the kitchen through a small hallway to the stairs, and when he started up, she followed him.
"We have the laundry and storage in the basement. It's the door off the kitchen. We have a half bath in the hall under the stairs, the master suite has another bathroom, and then there are two bathrooms, one in the hallway here, and one in the attic upstairs. It was turned into a mother-in-law apartment, but it's empty right now. When I was growing up, it was my play room," he told her and opened a door that had a room fully furnished with a double bed, dressers, a rocking chair and hardwood floors. It had rose-colored walls and the bedding was white and lacey.
"This works, thank you," Amy told him as he set her luggage on the bed.
"The bathroom is across the hall. The master bedroom, if you need me, is down at the end of the hallway on the left. The door on the right is a large storage closet. The little door is the stairs to the attic. I can give you the full tour when you’ve settled in."
Sloan hesitated and looked at her, wondering if she'd let him kiss her yet, and then deciding against it. He found her attractive. Really, really attractive. On the other hand, he didn't want to scare her off.
They heard barking and a small dog in a green sweater came running full speed into the room and then stopped and stared at Amy when he saw her. Amy grinned at him.
"Cute. You dress him up?" she giggled.
"It gets cold. He needs a sweater," Sloan said, feeling a little defensive about dressing his dog up.
"Don't worry. It doesn't hurt your manliness that you play dress up with your dog." She patted his arm to reassure him and then knelt down and put her hand out for Fred. She didn't move, letting the dog come to her.
Fred stared at her, and then inched forward to sniff her hand.
"Hi Fred, I'm Amy," she told him softly, as if she was talking to one of her preschoolers.
Fred looked up at her then bumped her hand with his head, wanting her to pet him. She scratched him behind the ears and then he jumped up on her legs where she'd knelt down and let her hold him.
"Well, that's new," Sloan said, watching Fred cuddle with her. He seemed to like her. Fred was normally very picky about people, so he took it as a good sign that his dog liked Amy.
"He's adorable," Amy told him and then rubbed the dog’s head gently as she stood up to face Sloan. "I'll let you have him back. Thank you for letting me come out here. I appreciate your bluntness. I know we shared some of our history in emails, and you can understand why honesty is so important to me."
"Well, I promise you I'm not gay," Sloan told her, and smiled. He walked over to her to take the dog, and before he could stop himself, leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips as he plucked the dog out of her arms.
Amy gasped and watched him wink at her, and take the dog out of the room, gently shutting the door behind him.
She brought her hand up to her lips. They still tingled from the touch of his mouth.
Chemistry definitely didn't seem like it was going to be a problem. At least, not for her. She just hoped that whatever was between them could blossom into something besides physical attraction.
She wasn't sure sex was enough to make a relationship last.
Chapter 4
"Do you like horseback riding?" Sloan asked Amy after she'd been there for a couple of days.
They'd been getting along famously, and Amy was worried it was almost too good to be true. Sloan was a perfect gentleman, kind and thoughtful. He hadn't tried to kiss her again and Amy was going crazy wanting to see if the chemistry she'd felt was her imagination, or something real.
"I haven't been on a horse in years. I do like horses. A lot," Amy told him as she speared a pancake off the serving tray with her fork and brought it to her plate. She buttered it and put some syrup on it, and thanked Sloan when he refilled her coffee cup.
"Say the word, and I'll get the horses out and we can go for a ride." Sloan leaned back in his chair watching her eat. He liked that she had a hearty appetite and wasn't afraid of food.
"Sure, sometime in the future that would be nice." Amy took a sip of her coffee and realized she needed to talk to him about the requirements of the will. "I want to know more about what you need from me, Sloan. I know you said you needed to be married, but you mentioned a baby?"
Sloan set his coffee cup on the table and rubbed his chin with his hand before answering her, "Yes. Within six months of the marriage, we’re supposed to be pregnant. I'm assuming there aren't any infertility issues, but I'm sure if something were to come up that required medical intervention, there's a way around that as long as we are actively seeking to fix something."
"I see," Amy said, hiding her embarrassment at such a sensitive topic. Her cycles had always been regular, and she wasn't on birth control. Not having had a boyfriend for quite a while, she hadn't needed it. "I love kids. It's why I'm a teacher. I guess I just hadn't really thought of myself getting pregnant and having my own baby. I know I'm not getting any younger and if I'm going to have a couple kids, now's probably the time. What I was wondering, though, is do you actually want kids, or are you just doing this because it's in the will?"
"I'm open to having kids. I like kids, I even thought I wanted them at some point, but having them within the next few months is because of the will and the requirements my parents laid out to keep my inheritance. But as you say, I'm not getting any younger." He reached across the table to grab Amy's hand she had rested on the table. "Are you sure you can do this?"
"I like you Sloan. I like your house, I like your dog, and I want kids. I've seen marriages started on worse. I understand why you'd treat this more like a business arrangement, and I think the chemistry between us might be able to grow into a lot more than just friendship if we gave it a chance. But, um.” She toyed with her pancake and hoped she wasn’t blushing too much. “I do want to sleep with you before we get married. At least once. I need to be sure that it's something I can handle before we tie the knot. I don't believe in buying a car unseen and without test driving it, and I feel the same way about a man."
There. That was her being honest back to him.
"Well," Sloan said, blinking at her. "I don't think I'll have any issues in that department. I, uh, find you very attractive."
"The feeling is mutual. I feel like this could really work out. I like your company, you seem like a great guy, and I'm glad I took the risk of coming out here and meeting you. You know, the only reason I even had a dating profile is because my sister made me put one up to it."
"Just so were on the same page, I haven't been with anyone since I was discharged from the military," Sloan told her, not quite meeting her eyes as he poured out information he’d never told anyone else.
"Me either,” Amy confided. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I suppose you just wanted me to know?"
"Something like that. Um. I’ve never been very good at talking to women, and this is uncharted ground for me. I suppose if we are going to end up married, I should be able to tell you anything," Sloan told her honestly.
"I appreciate that," Amy told him, and she really did. Lack of honesty in her past relationship had made her a little bitter and nervous about trusting a new man, but something about Sloan just made her feel like she could do this. That she could trust him.
"I was going to start a fire in the fireplace, since it started to snow. Would you like some hot cocoa? I know we just had coffee, but I always like t
o drink hot chocolate in front of the fireplace," Sloan grinned, and Amy could picture him as a little boy excited over the holidays, with hot chocolate and cookies for Santa.
She didn't think she'd have any regrets with Sloan, but she wanted to be sure. She just had to figure out how to initiate the sex without making it feel awkward.
Later that evening, they were sitting in front of the fireplace together, drinking hot cocoa with little marshmallows. Amy reached over and took Sloan's hand and set it on her leg. She was trying to send him a signal that he could touch her, without being too pushy about it, or making him uncomfortable.
Sloan got the hint and he started to gently massage her leg and scooted closer to her and Amy leaned against his shoulder. She finished her hot chocolate and set it on the coffee table, on a coaster to protect the antique wood that it was made from. Leaning back she shifted her body so she was facing Sloan more and then leaned in closer to him to put her head on his shoulder.
Staring down at her, Sloan pushed a strand of hair from her cheek up behind her ear and then lowered his head to kiss her. The hot chocolate flavored his lips as they met hers, sweet and enticing, and she parted her lips to allow his tongue to meld against her own.
Wrapping her arm around his neck, they started to make out on the couch like horny teenagers. It was hot, exciting, and he had his hand up her sweater starting to undo her bra when the door burst open and one of the dog trainers burst through the doors.
"We have a problem, Sloan," he told them.
"What's going on Joe?" Sloan pulled his hand out from Amy's shirt quickly, and acted almost like he forgot she was there when he went to address the problem.
"The bitch that was about to have puppies got out of her kennel, and she won't come out of the horse barn. She's got herself cornered in a stall and is threatening to bite anyone who comes close to her. She's freaking out and I'm worried about the puppies." Joe told Sloan, and motioned for him to come with him. "She was your mom's favorite. She really only likes women and since Mindy is on vacation for another week, we don't have anyone else to help, and I don't know what to do. I can't tranq her when she's about to give birth, it might hurt the puppies."
Joe sounded stressed out and agitated. He hadn't even noticed Amy.
"She prefers females, right?" Amy put in, realizing that maybe she could help them. "Maybe I could help?"
Sloan and Joe both turned to look at Amy, and Joe shrugged at her. "If you ain't scared of getting bit, you're more than welcome to try," he told her.
Sloan nodded. "I'm fine with it if you want to see if she'll tolerate you. You won over Fred, so maybe you can work your magic on Stella."
"Stella?" Amy asked as she grabbed her winter coat off the hook by the door where she'd left it. Sloan grabbed his too and held the door open for her. It was snowing, the wind blew, and it was chilly.
"Officially she's Princess Stella of King Louie, which was her dad's name," Sloan explained as they walked outside to the barn. "The dogs all have fancy pedigree names, but we end up calling them by a nickname. It's too much of a mouthful otherwise."
Chapter 5
Walking into the barn together, Amy and Sloan walked to the back of the barn where Joe told them to expect Stella to be hiding. Amy went first and Stella growled when she saw them. She was laying on her side and panting hard. It appeared as if she'd be giving birth soon and Amy crouched low, trying to act non-threatening, and talking gently to her. The dog tensed when she saw Sloan and Amy put up her hand.
"Let me be in here with her right now. Just stay outside of the stall for right now, Sloan," Amy told him, focused on the unhappy looking dog in front of her who seemed stressed out.
The dog watched Amy carefully, but allowed her to come closer and when she put her hand out for the dog to sniff it, she didn't growl. Amy moved slow and calmly, petting her softly on the head, talking to her, reassuring her that it was okay. She stroked her ears and eventually was close enough that the dog could put her head on Amy's leg.
Amy watched her as her stomach tightened up and the dog whined, and then her body pushed and the first puppy popped out. Amy didn't touch it, and just let Stella lick it clean and chew through the cord. She pushed the puppy in the straw until the puppy was wiggling and blindly seeking the comfort of Stella's nipple. A few minutes later another puppy appeared and Stella repeated the process.
It took a couple of hours, but Stella gave birth to eight healthy puppies and eventually pushed out all the afterbirths under Amy's supportive and watchful eye. Sloan was outside the stall. He'd grabbed a chair from the back closet in the barn in the storage area and was sitting there, waiting for the dog to be done. Amy kept reassuring him that everything seemed fine and Stella was doing great, so he tried not to worry.
Eventually all the puppies were latched and nursing and Stella seemed to relax and be calm, and Amy didn't touch the puppies, but she continued to pet Stella and tell her what a good job she had done and stroked her head softly.
"Is she all done?" Sloan finally asked her.
"It appears so. I saw her deliver and eat the afterbirth. There's eight puppies in total and they’re nursing and none of them seem to be having any problems," Amy told him quietly.
"Let me get her a bowl of water and some canned food. She can stay in here. I'll have you give it to her, and I'll have Joe keep an eye on her for the next day or two until she's ready to let others near her and the babies," Sloan said in a low, hushed tone, not wanting to stress the dog out.
"Sounds like a plan. I'll wait," Amy told him as she waited for him to bring back the food and water.
A few minutes later Sloan opened the top half of the horse stall and put the bowls through so Amy could get up and grab them. Stella watched carefully, a low growl in her throat when she saw someone besides Amy's hands in the stall.
Amy talked to her quietly while she took the items from Sloan and brought the bowls of food and water over to Stella and set them directly in front of her so she wouldn't have to get up to eat and drink.
Stella sniffed the food and then drank some water. Amy gave her a few more soft pats before getting up and leaving to follow Sloan back to the house. She was excited. She'd never watched a dog birth before, and Stella had been a good first experience. She was glad she could help.
"You're shaking. Are you just cold, or was it the adrenaline of watching her give birth?" Sloan asked her as he held the door open for her to go back inside the house after they'd stomped the snow off their shoes on the porch.
"A little of both, I think," Amy said and then grinned at Sloan. "I can see why you do this. I am completely amazed by that."
"It can be a humbling experience. I learned a lot being around the dogs growing up, and no two dogs are exactly the same. Stella's a good example. We didn't sell her. She's one of our prize working females. She was my mom's dog and made an ideal candidate for a breeder. We are very picky on who we sell, who we keep, and which ones we breed," Sloan told her. "If you're really interested in being a part of this, after we get married, I can have you spend time with the trainers and learn the ropes. You're never too old to learn to work with the dogs if you have a knack for it, and you appear to have a natural connection with them. That will be useful."
"I think I'd like that," Amy told him, and then hung up her jacket after she'd managed to get all the buttons and zippers undone.
Sloan stared at her for a moment and then leaned down and kissed her.
Chapter 6
Amy was shocked when his cold lips touched hers. She shivered, and Sloan pulled her closer to him. He'd already hung up his jacket and his flannel shirt was slightly damp around the collar. She worked on the buttons of his shirt as their mouths heated up and he deepened the kiss by pressing his tongue gently against her lips. She opened her mouth and let him inside, his hands reaching up to tangle in her hair.
Kissing her felt good. Sloan moaned softly against her mouth and realized it had been forever since he'd been with a woman, and
he wanted her. She was warm and inviting and happy and it made her hard to resist. He loved the way the strands of her hair felt tangled around his fingers. It was like silk.
Amy got his shirt unbuttoned and ran her hands up his taut chest. He had every inch the military body. His six pack hadn't gone away just because he'd retired. She let her fingers trace the curves of his muscles and felt her stomach grow tight, picturing his body sliding against hers.
Sloan pulled her backwards towards the couch, until he fell sitting and pulled her down against him, making her giggle. "I want to see you naked."
"Then get me naked," Amy taunted him playfully, pulling at the belt on his jeans. She pulled it out and dropped it on the floor by the couch. Sloan slipped out of his shirt and then started to pull Amy's sweater over her head, and worked on unhooking her bra in the back. Her breasts popped free as he dropped her bra and he cupped one of the perky mounds in his hands, making his cock swell in his jeans almost painfully hard. He traced his fingers around the pale lobe and then dipped his head to taste her nipple with his lips and tongue.
His hot mouth was a contrast to her cold flesh. Even with the fireplace and the heat, the house was still chilly, just enough to make her skin break out in goose bumps. Sloan slid his hands up her arms, until he reached her shoulders. Pressing one hand on the back of her neck, he pulled her down to kiss him again. His other hand went to her back and he held her close as they let their horny side take over with a lot of groping, fondling and giggling.
"I want you," Amy finally told him as she pulled back from the kisses. She was wet, she had soaked her panties and it had started to seep through her pants. She wanted them off, she wanted him inside her, and she didn't want any more foreplay. She wanted the main course.
"But I'm just getting started," Sloan said, raising an eyebrow, although he was secretly relieved because his cock was so hard it had started to hurt in his jeans.
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