by Rye Hart
Lucky bastard.
“Be careful,” I called out. “The trail can be rough this time of year. Fallen branches and stuff.”
“I think I’ll be okay,” she said with a sly grin.
“I’m Dean,” I said. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“I’ll do that,” she said.
With that, she slapped the reins down and galloped away. I watched as she easily jumped a tree trunk and quickly bypassed her friends. I smiled to myself, unable to look away until she disappeared.
I couldn’t keep the smile off my face for the rest of the hour. Every time I had a free moment, I glanced down the trail, just waiting to see their group return. I didn’t even know this girl’s name, but I was already spellbound.
Her body was amazing and that smile was enough to knock me on my ass, but there was something different about her. I had seen my fair share of gorgeous girls but her eyes drew me in. She was young, probably eighteen, but she seemed older somehow. It was as if an entire world existed within those blue eyes, an entire world I had to explore.
After an hour passed, the girls slowly began to arrive back at the stables. They trotted over with haughty looks on their faces and complaints flowing freely. I listened to them politely, nodding just as I was trained to do.
“I’m sorry about that,” I said without emotion.
“We’ll be sure to take care of that.”
My responses were rehearsed and ready but when I saw her again, I suddenly forgot them all. She galloped over with a wide smile and windswept strands that had escaped her braid. She actually looked to be enjoying herself.
“How was your ride?” I asked as I reached out a hand to help her down. She glanced at my hand and then slid off the horse without assistance. I was impressed.
“It was lovely, Dean.”
When she said my name, I felt my stomach turn over. Not only was she sexier than I remembered but the way her lips curled around my name was enough to make my dick twitch in my pants. I cleared my throat and took a step forward.
“It doesn’t seem fair, does it?” I asked, laying on the charm.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“That you know my name, yet I don’t know yours,” I said. I grinned at her in my patented cocky way but she only laughed and shook her head.
“No,” she said, pulling off her riding gloves. “I guess it isn’t fair.”
“Shall we fix that, then?” I raised my eyebrows.
She considered me for a second. My grin never faltered. I’d had my fair share of run-ins with the opposite sex. Most women fell all over me without so much as an invitation. At twenty-four, I knew I was good looking and I used that knowledge to my advantage. There wasn’t a woman alive who could resist me when I decided to have them.
“I’m Caroline,” she said simply.
“Caroline.” I repeated her name slowly, drawing out each syllable. “That’s beautiful.”
“It’s common,” she said.
“Unlike you.”
Her eyes snapped to my face. She smiled and I knew I had her. I brushed my hair out of my eyes and took another step forward. We were only inches away from each other now, close enough that I could have touched her. I expected her to take a step back, to become affronted by my brazen approach but she surprised me. She held her ground and stared at me with wide, expectant eyes.
“Will you be riding with us again, Caroline?” I asked softly.
“I’ve been a member of this club my entire life,” Caroline said. “I’ll always be around, but what about you? I don’t remember seeing you before.”
“I just started a month ago,” I said. “It’s a summer gig for now but we’ll see what happens.”
“I guess we will.” She nodded and turned away from me.
“Wait,” I said. “Can I get your number? Maybe we can arrange a private trail ride.”
She turned around to face me with an amused expression on her face. Her eyes searched mine. At first, I thought she was considering her answer but it wasn’t long before I realized she was just toying with me. Her smile widened as she shook her head from side to side.
When she turned around to leave, I thought about calling after her but I knew my usual methods wouldn’t work with this girl. Not only was she part of the elite but she was able to see through all my tricks. I watched her head toward the showers, my head spinning. When she ducked inside, I imagined her peeling of that riding outfit and stepping under a steaming hot stream of water.
What the hell is it about her?
Her beauty wasn’t plastic and manufactured like the rest of them. A few had tried to entice me, but I had always politely kept my distance. Not only was I not attracted to them, but I couldn’t risk getting caught with my pants down with a club member. I needed this job.
Still, the thought of Caroline had my head spinning. I simply had to have her, no matter the cost.
CHAPTER TWO - CAROLINE
I showered quickly in the clubhouse just off the stables. As the water cascaded over my body, I could hear a couple of the other girls talking amongst themselves about the “hot new stable guy.”
“I wouldn’t mind a private lesson with him,” one girl was saying.
“Ride ‘em cowboy!” another agreed before bursting into a fit of giggles.
For some reason, it made me slightly nauseous to hear them talk about Dean that way. True, I had only just met him, but there was something about him that seemed different. I mean, I could tell he could be a total player if he’d wanted to, but the way I heard he’d sidestepped inappropriate comments from several female members so far, said he had a little more depth than his playboy image allowed.
I dried off and dressed quickly, trying to shut out the crude chatter around me. And people thought guys were dogs…
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” a girl in my riding group named Lisa asked, her smile tight and her eyes narrowed.
“I’m meeting Stephanie for dinner inside,” I said simply.
“Oh,” Lisa said. “I wondered if you were going back to the stables.”
“Why would she do that?” another bimbo named Stacy asked with a frown.
“No reason.” Lisa shrugged. “Just thought she might have forgotten something.”
Lisa smiled at me in a knowing way that made my stomach churn. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and instead, forced a smile on my face and shook my head.
“I’ll see you ladies tomorrow,” I said as I strolled out of the room.
“Bye, Carrie!” Stacy called.
I waved and hurried outside. Stephanie would be waiting for me in the dining room and I was eager to meet her. She, unlike my other friends, was never judgmental or haughty. Despite her family’s abundant wealth, Stephanie managed to stay level-headed. It was one of the many reasons that she had been my best friend since we were kids.
I hurried into the dining room and stopped at the hostess stand. Melanie, the hostess I’d grown friendly with over the years, smiled and gestured behind her. My eyes followed her hand and I saw Stephanie sitting alone at a back table.
“Thank you,” I said to Melanie before I hurried over and plopped myself into the waiting chair with a deep sigh.
“Well, hello there,” Stephanie said. “Bad ride?”
“Not at all,” I said, shaking my head. “It was lovely, actually.”
“Then why the mood?” Stephanie asked.
“Lisa.”
Stephanie nodded knowingly and raised her hand to call over our waiter. He hurried forward with two menus ready.
We ordered our drinks and he hurried away, leaving us alone to talk and peruse the menu.
“Spill,” Stephanie said.
“It’s nothing,” I sighed. “Lisa’s magnetic pull toward drama is never failing. She saw me chatting with the new stable guy and decided it was a scandal. Mark my words, there will be a cryptic post on her blog about it within the hour.”
“Caroline Michaelson Slums It
with Stable Hottie,” Stephanie said, her voice mocking.
“Don’t give her any ideas,” I groaned.
“Like I would ever,” Stephanie said. “Was he though?”
“Was who what?” I asked with a frown. Our waiter set our drinks down on the table and I took a sip of my lemonade.
“The guy,” Stephanie said. “Was he hot?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “Ridiculously.”
“So, Lisa wasn’t wrong.” Stephanie grinned slyly.
“Lisa Parks is always wrong,” I said firmly.
“Of course.” Stephanie waved her hand. “But that’s not the point. Tell me about him.”
“He’s gorgeous,” I said. “Rugged. Tall, dark, handsome. Muscular without being veiny, you know? Basically, the complete opposite of every guy we grew up with.”
“Sounds delicious,” Stephanie said, licking her lips for emphasis.
“Ha. Ha.” I rolled my eyes. “He asked for my number.”
“And you gave it to him,” Stephanie said, as if it were a given.
“No.” I shook my head.
“Why the hell not?!”
“Because we only just met,” I said. “He’ll have to work a little harder than that.”
“Oh, I forgot,” Stephanie said feigning seriousness. “You’re the queen of England.”
“Stop it.” I snapped. “You know me better than that. He must have loads of women throwing themselves at him. He probably assumed asking me for my number was no big deal. I’d rather he work for it, so he’s knows I’m not easy.”
“OK, fine. So let’s say he shows he’s really interested. Then what?” Stephanie asked.
I shrugged and looked off into the distance. Our waiter returned and we ordered dinner. He hurried away, leaving us alone again to talk about boys. While I was still a virgin, Stephanie was not. She spent almost every Saturday night with a different guy. She always said it was better to play the field than get stuck with some lame guy who she didn’t even like. I couldn’t blame her. Since her parents were almost never home, she had more freedom than most teenagers. In a lot of ways, I was envious of her life, but I wouldn’t ever be able to be with more than one guy if I tried.
Dean wasn’t just handsome and rugged, he had an air of maturity about him that most guys I knew did not have. It was as if he’d seen things, as if he’d lived a real life. He wasn’t sheltered or privileged. He knew what it meant to work for something and that, more than anything, was sexy as hell.
“Caroline!” Stephanie snapped. She waved her hand in front of my face and I jumped.
“What?” I asked.
“You’re practically drooling over there,” she said with a laugh. “Are you still thinking about the stable hottie?”
“His name is Dean,” I said.
“Just go for it,” Stephanie said. “If he’s got you daydreaming about him already, then obviously he’s worth it.”
I giggled. “But, can you imagine my mother’s face? God, she would lose her mind if I brought home someone who works in the stables.”
“And?” Stephanie asked. “Since when do you care what your mother thinks?”
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “I don’t care. Not really. It’s just, with all this Yale madness, she already has my head spinning.”
“What’s going on?” Stephanie asked. “I thought she was happy you got accepted?”
“She is.” I nodded. “Too happy. She tells anyone who will listen that her connections got me in.”
“Bullshit,” Stephanie said. “That’s utter bullshit, Caroline. You got yourself in.”
“I know that!” I said. “My grades are flawless. My SAT scores were the highest at Manchester Academy and yet, she acts like my success is entirely hers. It would be one thing if she were proud of me but she isn’t. She’s always talking about the extra curriculars I need to involve myself in or the charity work I need to do. Nothing is ever enough. She’s always pushing for more, more, more. I can’t take it anymore.”
“Then fuck her,” Stephanie said boldly.
“Stephanie!” I said.
“What?” Stephanie laughed. “I’m serious, Caroline. You are the smartest, most talented person I know and yet, your mother is constantly beating you down. You can’t let her hold you back anymore. You just can’t.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“I know,” Stephanie sighed and reached across the table to take my hand. “In our world, it never is.”
There were so many reasons I hated my parents. They rode my ass about everything, always pushing me toward perfection. Nothing I did was enough and yet, I still wanted to please them. Deep down, I just wanted to be the daughter they could be proud of. But, I knew that would never happen. In the world of the Austin wealthy, the Michaelson family was at the top of the food chain. If I did anything to jeopardize that status, I would be ostracized without a second thought.
Dating the stable boy was definitely against the rules, but I didn’t care. As Stephanie and I ate our dinner, my mind drifted once again to thoughts of Dean. I pictured his strong body as he bent over to retrieve my water bottle. His ass was fit and when he turned around, I could see the outline of his six-pack through his shirt. Just the memory was enough to make my mouth water with desire. I shook my head and tried to force the thoughts away. I couldn’t stop myself from daydreaming about pulling that shirt over his head and licking the sweat from his glistening abs.
“There he is,” I said suddenly. Dean had just walked past the window behind Stephanie. She jerked around in her chair, her eyes wide. We both stared at him as he walked by, alluring and casual at the same time. His shoulders were broad, and his biceps bulged from cuffs of his tight white t-shirt. The dusty jeans sat slung low on his narrow hips and hugged his perfectly sculpted ass. I pressed my knees together as a tingle started in my core.
“Damn,” Stephanie said with a low whistle. “If you don’t, I damn sure will.”
I laughed and kicked her under the table. “Seriously Caroline, that hunk of perfection needs to be your first,” she said, shaking her head.
“Yeah, I’m sure he’s real interested in a girl who has zero clue of what to do in the bedroom,” I retorted.
“Oh, I bed he’d love to teach you,” she said with a smirk.
My heart thumped at the thought of it. What would it feel like to be underneath so much manliness? To have him touch me in places I’d only touched myself? To feel him spread me open and possess me? I shook my head.
Just imagining my parent’s reaction if I were to bring Dean home was enough to make my skin crawl. I could already see my mother look down her nose at him, glaring at him as if she could smell the poor on his skin. My father, always regal and composed, would simply ignore him. Either way, I knew they would never approve, and yet part of me didn’t care. I was attracted to Dean. More than attracted.
As I finished my dinner, I let my mind wander freely. Dean would be working at the country club all summer. That would put us in the same place more often than not. I smiled at the thought, imagining a few chance run-ins in the barn. It was enough to make my legs tingle and my nipples harden.
Stephanie and I charged our meals to our family accounts and said goodbye. As I walked to my car, I glanced around me, hoping to see Dean one last time before I left. It was no use, my car was parked on the opposite side of the stables, so I knew he wouldn’t be anywhere around. Still, my desire to see him again was so strong that it almost knocked me off balance. I couldn’t believe that, after one meeting, I was already so enthralled with him.
Still, the entire drive home consisted of thoughts of him. I pictured his face, his dark blue eyes and cocky grin. I saw his dark hair fall in his face and I grinned to myself. My mind was so busy that I barely noticed when I pulled into my driveway. I was halfway up the stairs before I even realized I’d made it home.
“How was your ride?” my mother asked from the first floor. I stopped on the steps and turned to
face her, my smile still firmly in place.
“It was lovely.”
CHAPTER THREE - DEAN
The weekend had passed and, for the first time, I looked forward to showing up to the stables. Unfortunately, I’d had no sightings of Caroline all day, and after a long shift, I was tired. Tonight, the club house was hosting a party of some kind, and I could hear the sound of music floating from the event hall. I wasn’t sure what the occasion was and, in all honesty, I didn’t give a rat’s ass. I tuned out the music and high-pitched voices to focus entirely on my work. The faster I mucked out the stalls, the faster I could get home. My brother was waiting for me. He called during my lunch break to tell me my mother was on yet another bender. I wasn’t eager to get home to that, but I knew my brother needed my help. Without me, he would be forced to endure my mother’s tirade all on his own and I was afraid it would push him even further into the shady shit he was doing these days. I made a mental note that I would have to have a serious man-to-man talk with him soon.
I shoveled out the last of the stalls and went to dump the wheelbarrow. When that was done, I cleaned the wheelbarrow and checked that all the horses were safely locked up. I patted their flanks and nuzzled their noses. God, I loved these animals. I promised myself that one day, I’d own my own ranch with horses and I would ride whenever I damn well pleased. As I rattled the final lock, soft footsteps echoed behind me. I spun around, surprised to find another person in the stables.
“Hey,” Caroline said to me as she smiled with that coy look.
How can she hell can she look hotter than I’d remembered?
I smiled back, unsure of what to say. She was wearing a short green dress that hugged her chest and fanned out around her waist, showing off her long legs. Her hair fell down her back in cascading blond ringlets. I raked my eyes over her body while she moved through the stables. Swallowing hard, I followed her slowly, imagining what it would feel like to slide my hands under that dress.