by Tonya Kappes
I wasn’t sure where the flirty side of me was coming from, but I liked it. I liked the way he made me feel.
“You don’t have to ask me twice.” He stood up and peeled off his shirt. His body was built for action, more than a farm employee required.
One-by-one he unbuttoned his button-fly jeans, sending a shock wave through me. I bit my lip to stop me from screaming out the desire that was dying to come out.
Within moments he was in the pond next to me, drawing me into his arms before he explored my mouth. I tasted a new hunger in him. One that told me that he wasn’t going to let me get away. It didn’t matter if I was his boss, he was claiming me as his and I liked it.
“What are we going to do about this?” He swung my legs around his waist as his arms wrapped around my body. The water level splashed up between our chests.
“I’m enjoying this moment.” I refused to think about when the sun comes up.
“For what little time I have truly known you, I feel like I have known you all my life.” He kissed my shoulder. “And I know that in your little mind you have already dissected this situation like a sixth grader dissecting a frog in science class.”
I grinned. As much as I was trying not to think about the complications of it, he was right.
“See.” He kissed my nose. “I’m right. I swear I know you like a book and it’s strange.”
“How so?” Playfully I laid my body back. His hands slid to hold me up as my body lay back in the water. His hold was strong and he wasn’t going to let me go even if I wanted him to.
“You think this is going to be complicated, but it’s not.” He used his hands to bring me back to face him. It almost hurt to look at how handsome he was and to think that he was holding me. “We can make this work.”
“How so?” I laughed, longing to feel another kiss from him.
“It’s no different than Lucia and Leonard. They make it work.”
“Lucia wants no part of the business. She just spends the money.” I scraped my fingernails down the back of his hairline.
“I want you and I’ll make it work.” He pulled me closer. His lips seized mine in a deep emotional commitment. “You do your thing. I’ll do what I was hired to do. Break Brilliance.”
“Don’t remind me.” I groaned and slightly pulled away.
“What’s wrong?” He held me tight. “Tell me, Viv.”
I had never let a man call me Viv.
“I probably shouldn’t,” I whispered, but a sense of trust passed between us. “I’m not sure how much longer Brilliance is going to be here.”
“What?” His eyes turned down. “I thought I was here to break him so he could be trained.”
“You are and that is why this can’t happen.” I squeezed his shoulders. He adjusted my legs around him. “If he doesn’t stay, there is no need to pay someone the salary we are paying you to stay on board.”
“Why wouldn’t he stay?” Clay asked.
“The Sheikh is getting all sorts of promises from other farms from around the United States. Promises that they can’t keep. Promises I know we can keep if you keep Brilliance mesmerized like you did.” I left out the part how he had mesmerized the entire staff at the Lady B. “I have to go to Texas to meet with him and another farm. It’s down to us and them.”
“What part of Texas?” he asked. “I could go with you.”
“No.” My fingernail slid down the nape of his neck, up his chin, and into his mouth. Gingerly, I pulled it out. “See. That would be a distraction.”
“But I don’t want you to go alone.” He held me more snugly. “I’m not sure I could stand to not see you around here for one day.”
“You have to work on Brilliance. It’s all part of my plan.” I had thought a lot about what I was going to do once I was in Texas. “I’m going to convince the Sheikh to come and watch you with Brilliance. There is no denying the bond you already have with him.”
“What about our bond?”
“I’m serious.” I smiled; he reciprocated with a kiss.
“I’m serious too. I love this.” He bounced me in the water. “I’ve never been so crazy over a girl. But there’s something about you Vivian Westwood that drives me absolutely wild and I know I’ll never be able to live without it.”
“What about Grace?” I asked the question I had skirted all night.
“So you did see us.” He held me in place with one hand as his other hand outlined the lace on my bra. “She was only being nice to the new guy. So you did see us?”
“I did.” I liked the way his fingers found their way around my body.
“I love how you made up the rule about no employees dating.” His finger traced my lips. “That’s when I knew you were attracted to me as much as I was attracted to you.”
“How did you know I made it up?” The playful banter seemed to arouse the both of us.
“I told Grace that I wasn’t interested in her and used the excuse of your made-up rule and she informed me that there was no such rule.”
“So you let her down gently?” I asked, giving him little kisses along his cheek until I found his lips.
“I knew I had to come to you.”
A wild urge between us set it all in motion. Awareness, invitation, acceptance, all in a few moments.
Chapter Ten
“You’re going to be late.” Clay stuck a coffee cup under my nose to wake me up after endless attempts. “And I don’t want Leonard really making a rule that we can’t be together.”
I pushed back my night-of-wild hair from my face and rolled over from my stomach to my back. The clock Charlie and Gloria had given me read that I was going to be late if I didn’t high-tail it, but looking at Clay made me not really care if I was a bit late.
Clay looked like he had just stepped out of a cowboy-GQ magazine. His hair was nicely combed, his shirt tucked neatly into his jeans, his buckle shiny, and boots were already on.
I grabbed the lighter off my table and lit the Zen candle on the bedside table.
“Be sure to blow that out before you go to work.” He nodded toward the candle.
“I will.” I smiled and stretched my arms above my head. It was the best night’s sleep I had gotten. . .ever. “Come back to bed.”
“Though I want to make love to you all day, I’ve got a stallion to break.” He set the coffee on my nightstand and drew me into his arms. “Can I take you out to dinner tonight?”
“I’d love to.”
Crushing me to him, he pressed his mouth to mine. Finally he came up for air.
“Are you sure you can’t crawl back in here?” I turned the edge of the covers down.
“Do you want me to stay around?” he asked.
“I do.” I confirmed.
“Then I have to go to work.” He stood up. “Before I go, I need to know.”
“Yes, you are a ten in bed.” I playfully teased.
“I didn’t hear you complain.” He took his cowboy hat off my dresser and placed it on his head. “I’m assuming I have a job.”
“You do. But,” I hesitated, “I’ve added a few duties to your job that require you to be right here at night.” I patted the bed next to me.
“That is exactly the job I want.” He tipped his hat and walked out the door.
The warm giddy feeling rose through my body when I heard the front door shut. I had a boyfriend. A real boyfriend who . . .I gulped. . .was everything I had ever wanted in a man.
I slid back down into the bed and pulled the covers over my head. When I heard the front door open back up, I threw them off, jumped out of bed and rushed to the loft banister.
“Did you want a little morning snack?” I dangled over, naked.
“Oh my God! Put some clothes on!” Luvie screamed and blocked her eyes with her hands.
“Luvie!” I ran back to the bathroom and grabbed my robe from behind the door. I tied it as I walked down the steps. “You should’ve knocked.”
“I couldn’t stand the excitem
ent of seeing Clay Preston leave with a big ole smile on his face. And now I know why.” Luvie grabbed her cell out of her pocket. “I can’t wait to tell Millie.”
“Don’t you dare!” I warned her and noticed the time. “I’m going to be late for work.”
“Oh yes you are because you have to tell me what the hell went on here last night.” Luvie helped herself to a cup of coffee and sat down on the couch. “Mm. I think this is the best coffee you have ever made.”
“I didn’t make it, but it is good isn’t it?” I blushed remembering some of the things Clay and I had done. Things that should never be talked about.
“You have the sex face.” Luvie pointed to me. “And you liked it. You are in love with Clay Preston aren’t you?”
The more I tried not to smile, the harder it was to contain it.
“I feel so dumb.” I shook my head. “I feel like I’m a teenage girl.”
“It’s about time you let yourself feel that way.” Luvie happily sipped her coffee and reminded me how strange I was back in high school. “You always wanted to be around those damned horses. And now you have your very own stallion.”
“You are sick.” I ignored her parallel between Clay and a horse, but she wasn’t too far off the mark.
Clay knew exactly how to tame me last night and I let him. Not only had he mesmerized Brilliance, he had me in his web.
“You are going to have to tell Daddy that you are going to be a little late this morning. I want all the details.” Luvie insisted.
“I can’t. I have to get to work.” I ran upstairs and pulled on my work clothes. The only thing I had time to do was brush my teeth. “Help yourself to all the coffee you want.”
“Fine. Dinner then?” Luvie asked before I rushed out the door.
“Can’t. Going on a date.” I jumped in the old truck and headed to the barn.
Just like the day before, everyone was crowded around the fence watching Clay do his thing. Grace was right there with them, smiling like she had just won the lottery. Or Clay’s heart.
I leaned over the fence, my arms dangled. The morning sun had already warmed the black wooden planks, but it didn’t seem to bother anyone as they all watched in amazement. Earl let out a few sighs just as Clay was bringing Brilliance down as the big stallion reared up.
Clay put his hands out, as though he was giving Brilliance some sort of telepathy. Clay didn’t give off the appearance that he knew everyone around him was watching. He kept those beautiful blue eyes on the stallion, watching every muscle in the big guy’s body.
Brilliance let out snorts of resistance until the last snort was with his head bowed. A sure sign he was done fighting.
Clay ran his big strong hands that were just around me a few short hours ago down Brilliance’s mane and down the body, making me a little envious. I couldn’t help but get lost into the burning memory of how those hands had felt.
“Vivian.” Earl waved his hands in front of me.
“Are you okay?” Grace eyed me suspiciously. “Are you sick?”
“No why?” I shook my head out of my daydream. This was exactly what I didn’t want to happen. The daydreaming.
“You just missed Clay jump up on Brilliance!” Grace’s excitement exuded from her. “Bare back!”
“What?” I twisted my body around to find Clay sitting on top of the stallion as though he had been working with him since birth.
“He’s going to be ready for a jockey in no time.” Earl clapped his hands together in delight. “No time!”
“Okay everyone, let’s get this day started and let Mr. Preston do what it is Mr. Beiderman pays him to do.” I shooed everyone away, including a reluctant Grace.
It wasn’t until I was almost to the office door that I turned back around. Though I couldn’t see his eyes because his cowboy hat did a great job casting the shadow down his cheek, I could tell by the smile that he was wildly aware I was watching him.
“Why did you tell Clay that we had a no dating rule among the employees?” Grace planted her hands on her hips when she stepped into my office. “Not that I’m interested. But we went out for pizza the other night and he told me this rule. I was only trying to make him feel welcome to a new city.”
“I don’t think I need to explain my reasoning, but if you really want to know.” I tapped the pencil on the budget report papers in front of me. “We hired him to do a job and it’s very important he does it fairly quickly.”
“Does this have to do with you going to Texas?” Grace asked.
“How did you know about that?” I questioned her since no one knew but me, Leonard, Luvie, and now Clay.
“I overheard Leonard telling Earl about it.” Grace leaned her back against the door. Her lean silhouette was very attractive in her jeans and her Lady B polo fit her chest nicely. I glanced down at my Lady B polo and there wasn’t much there, making me wonder why Clay was attracted to me and not her. “Anyway, I was thinking about the whole Clay thing. Do you think he’d be interested in me? I could give him a chance.” She winked.
“Go to work.” I rolled my eyes.
I wasn’t sure what to say to her. No, he wouldn’t because he rode me like he did Brilliance.
The naughty thought made me look at the clock and wish it was closer to after dinner. I wondered if he just wanted to skip dinner and go straight to bed. It would be fine with me.
“Vivian?” Grace called my name.
“What?” I shook the memory out of my head.
“They just called you to Leonard’s office over the phone speaker.” Grace pointed to the phone sitting on my desk. “Are you sure you are okay?”
I stood up and tucked my shirt in a little more into my jeans.
“I’m fine.” I smiled. “More than fine.”
“I think I’m going to ask him to go to the street dance downtown.” Grace did a little two-step when I walked by her. “You know the one in a couple of weeks.”
“You do that,” I agreed, knowing he would let her down without giving our little secret away.
The sound of the mowing tractor rushed through Leonard’s open office window. He insisted on keeping it open because he loved the roar of the farm equipment, neighs of the horses, and gravel pinging up the tires.
“Shut the door,” Leonard ordered when he noticed I had walked in. “And come sit down.”
He stood at the window with his arms behind his back, fingers entwined with one-another, gazing out at the empire his father had created and passed down to him.
“Your plane leaves in a couple of days.” He turned around. “I have been on the phone with the Sheikh all morning and he still insists he wants to talk with you and Infiniti Farms.”
In the distance, I saw Clay and Grace talking. He was sitting on the fence with his boots wrapped around the second rung in the fence. Grace twirled her hair as her body twisted back and forth in a flirty way. Clay and she were both smiling.
“I will have Rosemary bring your plane ticket to you.” Leonard turned around. “I’m hoping you have some sort of game plan.”
I was trying to read Clay’s body language as he hopped down on the side of the fence Grace was on and used his fingers to pull something from her hair. Her giggle echoed into the open window.
“Vivian?” Leonard moved into my line of vision.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I deeply inhaled. “I was just trying to figure out why the Sheikh is so dead set on looking at Infiniti when he had already given us a verbal agreement and sent Brilliance to us. It’s going to be a lot more money to move him than to keep him here.”
“Not in the long run if Brilliance becomes the next Triple Crown winner.” Leonard made the biggest point of all. “The Sheikh has more money than we could ever imagine. He doesn’t care about the cost.”
“We aren’t here to train Brilliance to be the Triple Crown winner, we are here to break him. Train him so a jockey can get on him.” I couldn’t let Leonard forget our role in this endeavor.
The Lad
y B was known for breaking horses and shaping them into the winners they had become.
Leonard moved over to his desk and sat down, leaving me with a clear view of the window. Clay and Grace were gone. I walked over as Leonard was saying something and glanced at the outside world. Brilliance was still in the corral, but Clay wasn’t around at all.
I looked up and down the fence line looking for either of them.
“I’ll get a game plan,” I cut Leonard off and rushed toward the door.
“You know this is between us.” Leonard reminded me. I looked at him. By the look on his face, I knew he meant not to tell my new lover.
“Of course.” I bolted out of the door and down the hall.
Grace wasn’t in her office, nor in the front office so I started to run outside to find her. My hands started to shake as fearful images of Clay and Grace resting in each other’s arms played in my head.
“Vivian, you have a few messages here.” Rosemary held some papers in the air. I shook my palm at her and pushed the door to the outside world open. “Vivian, are you okay?”
There wasn’t time to respond. I had to figure out if Grace had seduced Clay and if he had given in.
I jumped on the Gator. Panic like I had never known before welled in my throat. This was exactly why I had always guarded my heart. I had seen what a bad relationship had done to my parents and I had no idea where my dad had run off to. Even after all of these years he had never once tried to return.
“You are so stupid!” I beat the wheel of the Gator. “You know better.” The tears stung the whites of my eyes. “Don’t you dare cry,” I threatened myself. “It’s your own fault for creating this mess.”
The self talk didn’t stop me from imagining what I knew was going on inside one of the barn stalls.
My stomach clenched when I parked the Gator and looked at the barn doors. There was no stopping me. The barn door was slightly open, just enough for me to slip through.
The dry hay crunched under my feet as I went from stall to stall. The horses stuck their noses out and watched as I bolted down the center. I clenched my hands until my nails entered my palm.