“Oh I have something for you that may help with that?”
“Not unless you have a hoof pick, mines in my wrangler Jacket, damn it, I don’t suppose you brought yours from London, did you?” I had his birthday gift in my back pocket to give him.
“Taddah here something useful, Happy birthday, open it I hope you haven’t got one?”
“Thank you I think?” He opened it, and smiled. “Thank you, this is brilliant.”
“Open it, there’s a little hoof pick in there see, you like it, really?”
“Yes, and I’m sure Buddy here will like it too. Thank you it’s a very useful gift and I love it.”
“You are most welcome, is Buddy alright? Can you ride him back or do you need to double up with me?”
“We will have to double up I’m afraid, his foot looks painful, shift back and hold Buddy please?” I did as I was asked, because I’m not going to be a brat, and he’d given me an amazing horse. As we slowly made our way back, mainly done in silence because we had nothing in common, the age thing was a gap we couldn’t fill, there’s only so many do you remember stories he could answer questions about, and I had zilch in common with his working life, his mega buck’s business empire. Still the horse ride cleared the cob webs and made me feel better, and I got to hug his backside all the way back.
“Do you mind if I grab a bath and go to bed? I’m kind of tired and did you not say you had some work to do?”
“I do, and for most of the night will you be alright?”
“I will get Buddy and Coffee sorted, and I will see you for breakfast yeah?”
“Yes Bella, I will see you in the morning, are we alright Bella?”
“Fine and dandy, and I’m sorry for being so moody and you know being stupid, see you in the morning. Can you tell Tanner to take the night off I’m not leaving my room?” I sorted the horses out, and after a rub down, Coffee looked beautiful and yeah, I was in love with her and after a good talking too I had finally had my horsey addiction filled, horses are I find, the best listeners. Kenny helped me with Buddy and smiled as I went gaga over the cute little white foal, I wanted her and the other little one I wanted them all, which made Kenny laugh at me.
I climbed the stairs and filled the bath, climbing in I ached, and had several sore bruises from the car ride. I stepped out of the bath dried myself, then looking for my lemon mouse pj’s, I was horrified I couldn’t find them and I know I put them in here, I was sure I had. I had however, put in the sexy negligee. Well, I won’t have to go down for anything, I’m safe, damn the interfering cousins from hell, they’d shifted my stuff around and my bikini too? Damn them again, it was the red polka dot thing and not the safe black tankini, urghhhh.
I woke in the middle of the night in need of a drink, I listened at the top of the stairs to the sound of silence, there were no voices just peace and quiet, so I tempted fate, and snuck down for a drink…
CHAPTER FIVE:
Chris:
I watched as Bella went to bed, relieved that she had, being so close to her for nearly two hours was just a little uncomfortable, especially as she gripped my waist. The imaginary conversation she heard was to make her dislike me and make this stupid idea of a couple of days here, a little less err, I didn’t know what this is, but it has become awkward? I have this attraction to her that I cannot fathom out and despite me saying I was fine, I wasn’t. My heart beats faster near her and I feel so differently, for a change I was not aroused in the usual way either, that on its own was strange, that the need to have her that way was not even centre most in my thoughts, I simply liked her.
After she had her bath, I set about doing the work needed, to solve the problems in Australia. After spending hours on the phone, sending emails and answering several fraught phone calls, it means that by three am, I’m exhausted and thirsty, so I head to the kitchen for a drink, only when I get there I find Bella in the kitchen and she’s only half dressed. I watch as she opens cupboards, silently grinning as she sings along to her iPod, her body against the refrigerator light leaves nothing, and I mean nothing to my imagination and I salivate and get the stirring in my groin.
I should rush in and cover her, but I also want to watch as she shimmies and sings, and all whilst I bask in the knowledge she doesn’t know I’m watching, but then I get a sudden pang of guilt. I cough as she picks at the chicken, then she seductively places a cherry tomato in her mouth and groans and she repeats her actions. Her tasting them is as sexy as hell, that tiny tomato is damn lucky, her sexy groan added in too, wow my dick is getting hard, and before it gets out of control, I walk over to her, smiling because she cannot hear me as she has on her iPod, so she is slightly surprised to see me there when I tap her on the shoulder.
“Sorry, I thought you were asleep, oh shit sorry I, I, I didn’t pack my pj’s. This was all that was in my bag, my damned cousins are to blame, because they must have hijacked my bags?”
“I can see, wait there.” I went to the laundry and threw her a robe. “Here have this I don’t need to see your backside.”
“Sorry, I really didn’t know you were here, as I said I needed a drink and I may be hungry.”
“My house keeper made you supper and it’s there in the fridge I’ll microwave it, sit please.”
“How is Buddy?” She asks as she does she looks flushed and cute.
“Fine, had I rode him back it would have been worse.”
“Well good job Coffee was able to carry us both.”
“Here eat this. Amy really is a great cook. This was in your honour, Mac and cheese. Do you want a drink?”
“Please, can I have warm milk?”
“Of course you can, is that good?” She is eating it like she hasn’t eaten all week.
“Very, and as good as I have had anywhere and I eat this all the time. Have you finished your work?”
“No, I have about another hour or so and hopefully sleep beckons. I rang your father too he is arranging to have Coffee picked up when they pick up Chocolate.”
“Did he mention my rant at Luisa?”
“No, he didn’t say anything, and she is hardly going to tell him she gave me her number, is she?”
“I was a brat and I will apologise on the way back, right thank you for this.” I watched as she washed her dishes and dried them. “Good luck with the phone calls, I need to get some sleep, this was a good idea and just what I needed thank you.” As she passed, she kissed my cheek and headed to her room. I watched as she headed to bed touching the cheek she’d just kissed. Tomorrow is going to be a bloody long day. I finish an hour later and head to bed, the dodgy latch on her door means her door is open and she is sleeping on top of the bed, I watch as she stirs.
“Goodnight Christopher, please shut the door when you’re done ogling.”
“I was simply walking by your room the door latch is loose. Goodnight Bella see you in a couple of hours.”
“Night or good morning, get the door fixed you perv.” She laughs as I shut the door. Damn that was another sight of her body I could have done without, down boy, my dick is now on overdrive and it’s taking me all my resolve not to join her in her room. Cold shower needed and reliving myself of some of this built up, pent up whatever tension I’m feeling. Sleep did not come easily and as I tossed and turned in my bed for ages, I eventually succumbed to the sheer exhaustion thing that Bella had brought into my life, she has brought more chaos to my already chaotic life, she, that fiery dark haired green eyed temptress, sleeping next door.
Waking to the smell of bacon wafting to my room I paid a visit to the littlest room and headed downstairs. Amy was busy making Bella more of her great pancakes so I sat next to Bella as she ate the bacon and pancakes smothered in maple syrup.
“Hey, leave some syrup for me guts.”
“Oh you’re up? I was leaving you to sleep you didn’t get to bed till late.”
“I never sleep Bella, where are Henry and Tanner? We are going to the sinkhole later and I need to run the day’
s security past them.”
“They have gone into town to get supplies for Amy. Apparently, we will be fine, besides Tanner isn’t a great lover of riding?” We will be alone, just when I needed the barrier of Henry and Tanner too.
“Chris what would you like for your breakfast?”
“I will have whatever you have made already thanks Amy.”
“Amy’s pancakes are better than Mum’s and that takes some doing Chris.”
“I know, it’s the first test my housekeepers get, make me pancakes and bacon and if they make then near as good as Mum Maria’s they get the job, isn’t that right Amy?”
“I had big shoes to fill, he never stops raving about your mum’s cooking. Here get it whilst it’s hot, are you alright Bella?”
“Yes thank you, I’m full to bursting. So when are we going swimming then?”
“I will have this and shower and change and get the horses ready. About an hour suit you?”
“Yes very do able, I just need to put on my bathers and jeans, is it far Chris?”
“Not really about two hours in the opposite direction to the flats, do you want to take Coffee or one of my Mustangs?”
“I will stick with Coffee, Buddy is still not able to be rode, which one are you going to ride? Oh, sorry I went to check on them this morning and helped Kenny’s son James, to muck out the stables, I missed getting my hands dirty and it was loads of fun too, he’s a little older than me, but I may go out riding with him when we get back.” I’d forgotten James was here and he’s a seventeen-year-old boy, damn I said there were no temptations out here, I hear he is a good looking young lad and he is more her own age. Good job we are out all day. We weren’t meant to be, but will be now, damn it, is this how jealousy feels?
“I will be riding Amigo, another Aztec I have, he’s Coffee’s dad. Did you see the white Aztec foal? Three weeks old and already full of a gentle spirit, so I thought of calling her Spirit, what do you think?”
“Yes that’s sweet and yes, she looks like she could win some prizes, she’s so pretty and her mum is kind of sweet natured too she is called Sunshine yes? I like the older of the foals too, he’s going to be trouble, ‘cos you can see it in his eyes, what’s he called?”
“I was thinking Hombre, what do you think?”
“Yes, it suits him he’s going to be a good strong horse too, so needs a good name.” I nod in agreement, as I finished breakfast. Bella goes to get changed and I follow up the rear after asking Amy to do a picnic for lunch. An hour later and we are heading out.
“I love your home Christopher, it’s lovely.”
“Thank you and it’s big, so come on let’s ride for a while, the track here is fine for a hard ride.” We ride for a while and as we do, she laughs and kicks my ass, she really does ride well and the view from the back is damned impressive. Good job I’m getting a cool down in a short while, I need it, either that or I’m gonna blow my load in my pants.
“Take the path to the right Bella, its down at the bottom of there.” She waits for me damn it and I have the biggest hard on.
“I can’t wait to get in the water it’s been a hot ride out. It really was a hard ride in the heat, you alright Christopher you look flustered?”
“I’m fine Bella did you bring a swim suit?”
“I’m wearing it, a quick strip off out of the jeans and I’m ready for the cool down.”
“I’m a stupid idiot, I forgot the swim suit, shit I…”
“Are you going commando?”
“Bella…”
“No? Then use your tighty whities, unless you want to skinny dip? Then I promise to keep to that side of the pool.” I laughed and usually the latter would not have been a problem.
“I usually skinny dip, or dive in fully clothed and dry out in the sun. I will however use my tighty whities. Sorry, but you don’t get to ogle me back, in payment for last night’s ogle.” Oh hell, I went there. “Not that I was, I was merely passing. Kenny is fixing the latch whilst we are out, you will be pleased to know it won’t be a problem tonight.” She laughed and tied Coffee to a fallen tree and stripped, wow…
“Last one in is a rotten egg?” Wow… No wonder Hugh sleeps with a gun beside his bed, if I thought the dancing near naked did things, then I’m screwed, that was one mighty skimpy bathing suit. I was mesmerised as she dived into the water and shrieked as the cold water took her breath away. “Damn that’s colder than it looks, do you want me to turn around shy boy?”
“It’s been a long time since I was a boy, and yeah do that please not all of us are exhibitionists Bella.” She swam out and I stripped, I needed in the damn water and soon. I swam towards her, now very relaxed, as the cold water was better than the shower I had, in relieving the slight problem that was troubling me.
“I like the tattoos, very cowboy-esk. When did you get the half sleeve done?” I smile.
“When I made my first million, I got drunk and indulged myself and got some seriously nice ink done!”
“It’s nice. Mum won’t let me get one.” She stares, and I smile again.
“I wouldn’t they hurt.”
“Do you like it here?”
“Yes it’s home, and I love it, I especially love the peace, rest and the clarity being here gives me.”
“What made you buy somewhere out here, I mean you’re a, sorry, were always a city boy, New York and Vegas, why a dude ranch in Texas, and I might add a very nice ranch too.”
“Thank you, I have always liked horses, my mum was a very good horsewoman and when I spent time with Gran at her place in Mexico, I rode all the time, and the ranch was part of a takeover of a business I bought into, much to my surprise it was actually a dude ranch, you know for would be cowboys? So, I did away with the dude aspect and breed horses. Racehorses, Aztecs and Mustangs, they are wild at heart horses and I hate to tie them down, but alas they have to be so I can train them or rather Kenny and his team do. I am just too damn busy in Australia at the moment.”
“Mr Mogul needs some downtime, when is enough money enough Christopher? When you’re six foot under and too old and too tired to enjoy the fruits of your labour? What drives a man like you to want more?”
“I’m asked that all the time and I can’t tell you other than I know I want to be better than my father.”
“You are already better than him, Christopher, but keep up with the wine, whiskey and women and you will soon be like him, it’s a slippery slope that’s hard to get off and pretty damn soon you will be going too fast you won’t want to get off and end up like your Pa and having a heart attack.” Oh for the love of god, she has brains and beauty. “Christopher, why do you have so many fingers, in so many pies?”
“Well, as you know I’m in mergers and acquisitions and sometimes I want to make a go of the business I buy into, rather than break it up and sell it. So, over the past few years of doing so, I have as you say got my fingers into many pies. The ranch is a hobby, which I happen to make money from, the hotels they were gifted to me from Gran on my last birthday, they run themselves really, but my heart stopping job have to do thing, is what I’m concentrating on doing right now, it’s mining, because I wanted to use my degrees in both engineering geosciences and resource engineering.
My great-grandfather was a poor Mexican miner, who hit pay dirt down Mexico way and the money he made, he poured into his new wife’s families business of hotels, so mining was in my blood as well as damned hotels. Plus, it pissed off ole Hoyt so much it was kind of fun. Like you I was educated at home until I was nine, then I went to an all-boys boarding school, and then on to college. I decided that I was good at maths and finances, so the thought of doing a business degree was always at the back of my head.
I already had more money than I would ever need, I just needed the challenge, and then one day I saw a college pack that a fellow boarder had, for the Colorado School of Mines, and filled out an application, my grades were good enough and the rest was history. Otherwise, I may have stopped in New York
or Vegas and gone into hotels, like my old man wanted me to.” I can’t help looking at her. She’s brainy and so well opinionated about everything, I do business with people less articulate than her, she is savvy and beautiful, and I’m gone.
“Oh, I went to private school from five and had a tutor too, I’m sort of a gifted girl, I pick things up and I am advanced for my humble sixteen years, I can go to University now, but I want to do the whole college thing. You know go to parties and shit, the education in England is so different to stateside, so I’m still wondering what to do and where to go, I’ve a few places in mind. I do like this place though, it’s peaceful and calm.”
“It’s the top of my list for living places. I am hungry how about you?”
“A little, can we go behind the water fall thing?”
“No, there could be wildlife in it and I wouldn’t want you to get eaten by a bear.”
“Really a bear, shit get me out of here.” I laughed as she spluttered.
“Stop, your safe Bella, the liveliest critters here are coyotes and deer, we sort lucked out on the fierce wildlife Bella.”
She swam up to me and splashed me, and for the first time in God knows how long, we had a water fight, me splashing her back and tossing her in the air and then she kicked water at me, this was great and we spent ages laughing and fooling around just having fun. Something I’d not ever done before, had a water fight nor fooled around in the sinkhole, or swung from a tree and nor had I, until today that is, cannon balled into the water from the great height, all these tricks were shown to me by Bella.
Then I fucked up, as she came in for a splash, I grabbed her and not thinking, or over thinking perhaps, I was all about grabbing an opportunity, hell I don’t know what I was doing or thinking, but I knew I was fucked, as soon as I did it… I grabbed her and kissed her and she didn’t pull back, I was screwed, but as I kissed her, it felt right, as our lips met and tongues danced, her breathless appreciation was a turn on and as we clung together I realised that I loved her, but I also realised that it was wrong, so I pulled back damned quickly.
Soul Mates. The Beginning. Page 10