“Zack, I’m not made of glass, and you didn’t hurt me. Sometimes taking it hard and fast is a good thing. I don’t want you to feel you have to treat me with kid gloves now. If we’re going to get back to the way it was before, we both have to just jump back in and take it as it comes. Rough or slow and easy, it’s all good.”
* * * *
Tori didn’t want to be treated like a toy doll. She wanted to be Zack’s woman. She knew he had some healing to do in this situation, too. She would have to forgive him if they were going to have a future, but he also had to forgive himself. She pulled him down on the bed and began to unbutton the denim shirt he wore. As she released one button after another, his magnificent chest came into view. She ran her hands over his pecs and six-pack as she reveled in the feel of his skin under her fingers. She could see that he had lost weight and that the ordeal had taken a toll on him, too—physically as well as mentally and emotionally.
God, he was beautiful, and she’d missed this, missed him. She flipped the brass snap at the waistband of his jeans and let the zipper slide open over his erect cock. He was magnificent, ready to explode, and she couldn’t wait to get her hands on him. She reached inside his jeans and liberated his beautiful cock. It was hot and hard in her hand.
“I’m not going to let you rush this.” He pushed her down on the bed and began undressing her. When he had removed all of her clothes, she felt his eyes all over her as he just took her in from head to toe. He stripped off the rest of his clothes. “You are so beautiful, and I’ve missed you so much. It was an actual physical pain. Please let it go, baby. I want what we had before. I’ll never forgive myself if I’ve permanently killed those feelings in you.”
“Stop talking, Talbot, and make love to me. I don’t want to talk this to death.”
* * * *
Zack was determined not to act like a teenage boy again, but seeing Tori spread out on the silk-covered king-size bed was almost more than he could take. He took a few deep breaths and told himself to slow down. He wanted to make this perfect for her. He knew they had both gone without this for what felt like years. His heart was hammering in his chest as he lay down beside her. He ran his big, rough hands over her silky breasts and down to capture her slim waist and hips, and then lower to the vee of her thighs.
He’d woken up many nights during the last month and a half sweating as he remembered the feel of her softness beneath him. He lowered his mouth to her hot pussy and ran his tongue around her clit and through her swollen pussy lips until she was writhing beneath him. She was wet and ready, but he wasn’t going to hurry through the preliminaries. He continued the sweet torture until he could feel the desperation in her taut and straining muscles.
* * * *
Tori was beginning to get restless as she waited for him. Her hips had started to buck against his hard, muscular thigh as she tried to urge him on. She felt his cock at the entrance to her hot pussy. He was almost there. She thought she would lose her mind if he didn’t take her soon—preferably hard and fast. She was pushing forward to engage him when he finally thrust his hard cock into her. He pumped his hips, and she clenched her body around his heat.
She needed this, needed Zack inside her like hot steel with his comforting weight pressing her into the mattress. She looked up into his rugged and handsome face as he moved inside her, and searing pleasure exploded in her core. Her body melted around him, and she could feel her heart melting as well. He pounded into her with the desperation of a man possessed.
He was destroying her defenses, tearing down her walls one by one, and she was letting him do it. She knew now, if she hadn’t before, that they were meant to be together. She wasn’t going to just capitulate and give it all over to him. He was going to have to work for her heart and trust again. Just like he was going to have to work for the orgasm that she could feel hovering on the brink of his nervous system, and she broke apart around him a second time. The climax shuddered through her entire body from head to toe as tingles of electricity skated over her skin. She felt him release thunder through his body, and he collapsed on top of her, the breath rushing out of his throat and over her sensitive skin.
* * * *
They lay there exhausted. Zack grinned down into her face as she smiled up at him. She looked a little dazed, and her pupils were dilated. “We’ve still got the magic, babe. Now all I have to do is fix the rest of our relationship.” He needed to see the love and trust in her eyes again. He was willing to do whatever it took to make them whole again. He wouldn’t give up until he had succeeded. Failure was not an option.
Epilogue
Zack had been glad to take it slow. Rebuilding their lives together had been a work of art, not a rushed patch-and-fix job. It had taken six months of careful work on Zack’s part to bring Tori back to where they had been before the fall. At least he hoped he had. Sometimes he still thought he saw a shadow of unhappiness or mistrust in her eyes. He wasn’t sure if it was actually there or if he just thought it was there. Feelings of guilt sometimes continued to plague him. Tori claimed that there was nothing bothering her and that it was all in his imagination. She seemed to want to reassure him that he had been forgiven, but he was never completely sure.
The ZApp program had been released and had gone viral. Zack’s technology company was booming, and the polo team was headed for the end-of-season playoffs. Tori’s legal practice was thriving as though she had never been suspended. Everything seemed perfect, and all seemed to be going well. He couldn’t explain his sense of unease and dissatisfaction to himself. Tori seemed to be satisfied with the status quo, but he definitely was not. He wanted more. He wanted it all—the whole package—wife, kids, home.
He wanted Tori in his life and in his bed full time. Weekends just weren’t doing it for him. After her three-month suspension, she had gone back to work at her law firm in downtown Miami and was living in her Coral Gables home. They spent as much time as possible together on weekends and any other opportunity he could manufacture. He had commuted back and forth to Miami from his ranch in western Palm Beach County so much that he swore his car could drive itself to her house.
This was it. Zack planned to ask Tori to marry him this weekend. He was worried that he hadn’t given her enough time, but he couldn’t wait any longer. The engagement ring he had chosen was burning a hole in his pocket. Tori was planning to show that weekend, and he thought it would be the perfect opportunity to ask her the big question at the show grounds in Wellington. Of course, Rocky and Rosebud would be there as well as John and Jacques and a number of their other friends. He had a great idea on how to pop the question and had practiced what he wanted to say until he had memorized the words. He hoped they didn’t come out too studied and stilted from overuse.
* * * *
Tori was dressed in her show clothes and getting ready to load Rocky and Rosebud into the trailer for the trip to the dressage show grounds. Everything she needed had been put in the trailer, and she and the guys had stayed at Zack’s house Friday night. Zack’s head groom, Manuel, had formed a firm bond with Rocky over the last six months, and Tori felt comfortable leaving the terrible twosome in his care. He enjoyed grooming and caring for the huge gray “beastie” as he affectionately called him, and they had become friends. Tori suspected it was mostly due to the sugar cubes Manuel always had in his pockets. Rocky and Zack’s relationship had not improved much, although he now allowed Zack to hug and cuddle Tori without acting up. Sometimes the male tendency to be territorial crossed the boundaries of species, and Rocky still acted like she belonged to him.
Manuel had Rocky bathed and ready to go, except that he still refused to do braids. Tori rode her first Grand Prix Freestyle ride in her head as she braided Rocky’s mane. She watched for Zack to come out of the house. She always waited until the last minute to braid since Rocky still usually managed to find something to rub on.
“Hey, babe. Ready to roll?” Zack look rugged and handsome in the worn denim jeans and jacket wi
th his favorite black cowboy hat. She never got tired of looking at him. She really loved the way he filled out a pair of jeans. He was definitely one of the best-looking men she knew, except for John Damien, of course. Zack had become close friends with John and Jacques, who now frequently hung out with the polo team. Who would have thought it? Well, stranger things had happened.
“We’re ready to load. My first ride is at 10:36 and the second is at 2:47. We’ve got plenty of time. We can even grab some coffee when we get there.”
* * * *
Zack had been pleased and proud of Tori’s rides. As always, she and Rocky were a stunning sight. They just seemed to float over the ground. She had ridden both of her musical freestyle routines and received excellent scores. The new piece was now show-worthy, and she placed second with it while she took a first place with her original routine. Zack was amazed that no matter how many times he had watched Tori and Rocky perform the freestyle routines, their performance always gave him goose bumps. Horse and rider were as completely in sync as partners on a ballroom dance floor.
They had a late lunch at their table overlooking the jump field at the International Club on the main show grounds. When they were almost ready to leave, Zack excused himself from the table.
“I’ll be right back, babe. Why don’t you watch the class and just relax for a few minutes.”
“I’m ready for that. It looks like there’s a line at the restrooms.”
Zack caught the eye of their waiter who met him at the front door of the restaurant tent with a wrapped package in a bag. Zack smiled as he felt the cold under his hands. He had made arrangements with the concierge during the week, and the chilled bottle of Veuve Clicquot and two crystal flutes were ready for him. He walked back to the table, signed their check, and helped Tori stand. “Let’s take a walk. I need to stretch my legs.”
She smiled up at him. She knew he could never be still for too long. “Sounds good. We can check out the tack vendors. I could use a new saddle pad.”
Zack guided her to the door and down the path toward the main entrance of the Equestrian Center. While she looked for the saddle pad she wanted, he chatted about her freestyle rides to keep her attention on him. He didn’t want her to see the surprise before they got there. He was going for maximum impact. Since they always parked their truck near the barns at the back of the facility, Zack knew that Tori had not seen the newest addition to the show grounds—an elegant hand-painted Venetian carousel made by Bertazzon, one of the world’s foremost carousel makers. It had been imported and installed on the show grounds a few months ago. He had arranged with management for them to have a private moment on the colorful ride.
When they arrived at the front entrance Tori looked up in delight. “Oh, Zack! A merry-go-round. How beautiful! I didn’t know this was here.” The entire area was roped off. It was usually ringing with the laughter of children and their families enjoying the carnival atmosphere, but at the moment, they were alone. The spectacular carousel was set amid masses of blooming gardenias. Tori breathed in deeply. The aroma of the flowers surrounded them. “Can we ride on it?”
“Of course, my lady. That’s the idea.” He helped her to step up on to the gaily painted carousel, and she immediately hurried over to a beautiful gray horse that looked a lot like Rocky and climbed on. Zack stood next to her and carefully opened the bag containing the bottle of chilled champagne and flutes.
She looked at him in surprise. “What are you doing? Where did you get that?”
“The concierge at the International Club helped me out with this.” Zack popped the cork and poured some champagne into the two glasses. They were eye to eye while she sat on the carousel horse waiting for the ride to begin. He smiled at her and said, “Congratulations on your rides. You and Rocky did a fabulous job today.”
“Thanks. I was pleased with our performance as well.”
They clinked glasses. While Tori sipped her champagne, Zack looked around and saw that their friends had materialized right on time around the entrance to the carousel. John Damien and Jacques DuBois had Rocky and Rosebud on lead lines just outside the carousel area as planned. He couldn’t do this without the terrible twosome in attendance. Of course, Rosebud was trying to snag a mouthful of gardenia, but Jacques was vigilant.
It was time. He just hoped Tori was as ready for this as he was. He had been planning his proposal for weeks. When he’d come up with the idea to propose to Tori on the new carousel at the show grounds, he had known it was exactly right.
As the carousel began to move, he just jumped in. Zack grabbed a hold of his courage with both hands. Flying a fighter jet had never been this scary. “Victoria Rose Aldrich, will you marry me? I have been waiting for the perfect moment to ask you, and I hope this is it.” He looked at her hopefully as he continued. “Tori, you are everything to me, and I want us to really begin our lives together. I want it all—you, a family. What do you say?” He was starting to get nervous here. She looked shocked, and she wasn’t saying anything. He continued nervously, “You know, you wouldn’t have to give up working if you don’t want to. You can open a Palm Beach branch for the firm. I’ve mentioned that to Robert, and he liked the idea. Or you could just quit and show Rocky full time. It would be up to you.”
She looked at him with a stunned look on her face. Clearly, this was not something she had been expecting at this moment. Zack had a minute of real panic until he saw the smile cross her face.
Tori threw her arms around him, spilling a little of the champagne on his denim jacket as the carousel began to pick up speed. “Yes! I thought you’d never ask!” As the carousel circled, she looked around the crowd and saw John and Jacques holding Rocky and Rosebud, Zack’s mother, and their other friends, including all the members of Zack’s polo team. Robert and Sharon were there as well as her friend, Marissa. “You are a brave man, Zack Talbot. With this audience, it would have been terrible if I’d said no.”
“Don’t think that didn’t occur to me. I’ve been slightly nauseous with nerves for days.” The waiters had begun passing trays of champagne glasses and trays of hors d’oeuvres. He pulled a small black box out of his pocket and opened it. The emerald-cut four carat stone with four graduated baguettes set in a stunningly simple platinum setting sparkled against the black velvet. He had already bought the matching eternity band wedding ring to go with it.
Tori gasped. “Oh, Zack… it’s beautiful.” Her eyes sparkled with tears as he took her hand and put the ring on her finger.
“Now it’s official. I have wanted to do this for months, but I wasn’t certain you were ready. Are you sure you’ve completely forgiven me and want to move on to the next stage of our lives?”
“I forgave you months ago. I’ve told you that over and over. I understand how it happened. It was unfortunate, but it’s a part of our lives, and we need to go on from here…together. I love you, Zack, and I have since the beginning. You’re everything to me.” Zack pulled her into his arms for a stunning kiss that rocked his world while all of their audience applauded, and the carousel continued to spin.
When the ride ended, they joined their friends for a toast. Tori walked over to John and Jacques and hugged them both. “Thanks for bringing the guys over.”
She dipped her finger into her champagne glass and dabbed a little on Rocky’s mouth. He curled his lip up, whinnied, and shook his head. Then he reached around her and wiped his muzzle on Zack’s chest. Rocky-7, Zack 2.
Zack just grinned and gave the big horse a friendly scratch on his withers before he leaned close to his ear and whispered, “But I got the girl!” Rocky-7, Zack 10!
Tori repeated the procedure with Rosebud, who just licked her fingers in appreciation. He was a goat with excellent taste in champagne.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I was born in New Jersey and grew up an only child on a small farm in the “Garden S
tate.” My father grew acres and acres of flowers for commercial florists and various produce such as tomatoes. My high school years were spent at Wayne Hills High School, where I was not one of the popular, preppy kids, or one of the hoods—which kind of left me in limbo as I wasn’t one of the brainiacs either. Weekends were spent going into “the City” and Greenwich Village with my friends and doing a lot of things I probably shouldn’t have—don’t tell my grandkids!
After attending Katharine Gibbs School in Montclair, New Jersey, I began a career as a legal secretary and then a paralegal. I moved to Florida and currently live in Davie, Florida, with my dog, Snickerdoodles. I was married for eight years but have been single for many years. My major addiction is jewelry, but any kind of shopping will do for a fix!
After my longtime job as a paralegal was ended by the economic downturn, I decided to turn lemons into lemonade and finally write the stories I’d had in my head for many years. I had always wanted to write romance novels, but my family and job kept me too busy.
My major interest aside from my family and friends is horses. I enjoy putting an animal character into my stories if possible. I am extremely “low-tech” and probably should have been born in the 1800s as I enjoy driving a horse and buggy for fun. I also enjoy horseback riding, but the ground has gotten harder and further away over the years.
I have a small farm and vacation home in Ocala, Florida, which is my favorite place in the world. There’s nothing as wonderful as swinging in the hammock in the shade and listening to the music of the wind in the pines while cuddled under a quilt reading a good book.
Books have always been my escape into love and adventure, and through reading, I have been able to be many people, do many things, and go to many wonderful places I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to be, do, or see.
The Appearance of Impropriety [The Horsemen] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 22