by Belle Ami
“There you are, darling. Edward, how good of you to come. I see you’ve met my fiancée, Adelia.”
Edward’s lips curled into an insincere smile. “Congratulations, Miles. To the victor go the spoils. You’re a lucky man to have conquered such a delightful woman.”
“Some of us are just born lucky. Excuse us, Edward. Oh, enjoy the party!”
Edward’s parting comment was like a shot over the bow. “I look forward to seeing you again, Adelia, and getting to know you much better.”
Miles escorted her outside, walking until he found a deserted alcove. He pulled her roughly into his arms. “You weren’t encouraging him, were you?” Miles was experiencing a feeling that was new to him. A powerful jealousy seized him.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Miles. You left me standing there alone. The guy didn’t mean any harm.”
“Oh, believe me; he knew exactly what he was doing. The most beautiful woman in a room is easy to spot. He’s a man that would take absolute pleasure in taking you from me.”
“Yes, but this woman only has eyes for you.” She took his face in her hands and kissed him fervently.
When they finally pulled apart, Miles kissed her temple. “God, I want you right now,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with desire.
She closed her eyes, responding to the implicit sexual yearning his words ignited in her. It occurred to her that should he want to take her right now, here in this garden, she would be willing.
“Open your eyes; I have something for you.” He placed a small velvet box in her hand. “Open it,” he demanded.
She opened the box. Within it, a beautiful, canary-yellow diamond engagement ring sparkled. “My god, Miles, I don’t know what to say. It’s beautiful. It’s just so soon. I’m speechless.”
“Put it on, and just say yes! The sooner I make you mine the better. Then sharks like Edward Vanderbilt can stop circling.” He took the ring out of the jewel box and slipped it onto her ring finger, where it fit like a glove. The ring’s facets caught the light, fracturing it into a thousand prisms. He drew her body against his and kissed her, his lips huskily repeating, “Say yes; say yes…say yes.”
When he kissed her like that, she could deny him nothing. “Stop, Miles.” She sighed. “OK, yes. I’m saying yes!”
He pushed her far enough away to look into her eyes. “Say it again.”
She opened her eyes and held his gaze. “This may be crazy, but I’m saying yes.”
His face shone triumphantly. “We’re getting out of here. The plane is waiting for us. I’m taking you to New Hope. I want you to see your new home and the horse facility. It’s the beginning of our new life together, Adelia. I want to wake up with you in my arms at Green Way Farms, to be alone with you.”
“But, Miles, I have to take care of the horses tomorrow and arrange their return to San Ynez.”
“I’ve already arranged it. Don’t worry.”
“How did you know I would say yes?”
“It wouldn’t have mattered. I never take no for an answer.”
Chapter 12
The Learjet 85 climbed into the inky black sky with only the two pilots, Miles, and Adelia aboard. After taking off, Miles closed off the front seating area and pulled her to the couch at the back of the plane. He poured them each a flute of champagne and held her hand, admiring the engagement ring that twinkled like the stars outside the cabin. “You like it, don’t you?”
“It’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. I’m almost afraid to wear it.”
“Adelia, I’ve waited a long time for you. I intend to give you everything.”
“I don’t need everything. Just you and the horses will be fine.”
“And children. You want children, don’t you?”
“Of course, just not yet.”
“No, not yet.”
He kissed her slowly and deeply as he undressed her. She pulled at his belt and then his trousers. They continued to kiss as they lay pressed together, naked. They made love tenderly, slow and rhythmically, her sighs escaping from her parted lips as he pleased her over and over again, until he finally could withstand no more and released himself like an arrow quivering into her core. Outside, thousands of feet above the earth, the moon looked larger and the stars seemed brighter as she gazed out the window, her arms around this man who had swept in and taken possession of her life. There was no doubt, she concluded, that sex was somehow enhanced by altitude. Miles lay atop her in contentment, and she held her body still in harmony.
Her thoughts drifted to her earlier phone call with Lucas. He had whooped on the phone when she had described her rides and second-place victory. Miles and Karolin’s horse, Avatar, had taken fifth place, and Roxy had taken seventh place. With as much authority as she could muster, she had told Lucas that Rodrigo would be returning to California with the horses and that she was staying on for a few days to be with Miles. This news was greeted with silence.
She had tried to assure Lucas that Miles wasn’t a threat to her or their partnership, but his only response was, “Aren’t you moving a little too quickly with this love affair? What’s the hurry? If this young man is as honorable as you say he is, why not take it slow?” God only knew what he would say when she announced their engagement. After all, geographically there was a continent between their worlds. She would never sell San Ynez, and Miles was clearly ensconced in the East. How, she wondered, will we reconcile our two separate worlds?
Her sighs roused Miles, who rose to his elbows. “We’d better get dressed before we land, or else we’ll find ourselves in a highly compromising position…which could be amusing.”
“No way! Let me up, you devil. It’s bad enough that your pilots must be having a good laugh at my expense. Lord knows how many women you’ve seduced on board this love boat in the sky.”
Miles roared with laughter. “Not as many as you think, and not a one did I ever propose to. Now that I know what I’ve been missing, I think flying with you is going to become a welcome habit.”
She was nearly dressed when she turned to kiss him, smiling. “Get dressed, please,” she pleaded. “I have to look these pilots in the eye with a straight face and thank them for a smooth flight.”
The jet black sky blazed with a thousand stars as the limo sped north on I-95 from Philadelphia International Airport. Asleep, Miles’s head rested on Adelia’s shoulder as she sat wide-awake, reading the unfamiliar names of exits, towns, and billboards that zoomed by the windows, leaving a fleeting impression on her overactive imagination. The only time she had spent in Pennsylvania was while competing at the Devon Horse Show accompanied by Lars and Faye. Visiting a place during a horse show always seemed to skew her impressions of the city and its people, because she rarely had time to explore beyond the confines of the hotel and showground.
She looked at the diamond on her finger and wondered what her parents would think of her portentous engagement to a man she hardly knew. She wished she could avail herself of their wisdom. Outside the window, she could sense the old neighborhoods becoming eclipsed by more rural vistas. The events of her life seemed to be gaining momentum, catapulting her into her future so rapidly that all she seemed capable of doing was holding on for the ride. She closed her eyes and fell into an uneasy sleep.
She woke just as the car slowed and turned. Large bronze gates, with lions standing atop sculptured pedestals on either side, magically parted, admitting them to the farm. They drove over a stone bridge with a stream running beneath it. On the left was a small, human-made lake; on the other side, fenced pastures lined the road. Ahead, a plantation-style house rose out of the darkness. It reminded her of Tara in Gone with the Wind, with its windows lit up and large, wraparound decks that promised to slow the passage of time and soothe the most harried of lifestyles. She could see beyond the house the outline of a large, Yankee barn looming in the background.
“What are you thinking?” Miles’s sleepy voice interrupted her musings.
“I hardly know what to think. It looks immense. I think I need time to absorb it all. I’m exhausted, yet over stimulated. I need to sleep,” she pleaded. “Tomorrow you can introduce me to Green Way Farms, and I’ll tell you what I think.”
“OK, Cinderella, let’s get you to dreamland…but not before I carry you over the threshold and make love to you until you beg me to stop.”
She had barely placed her feet on solid ground when Miles swept her up in his arms and carried her through the door, which was opened by a tiny but robust woman. “Everything is ready, just as you requested, boss.”
“Hi, Karin. This is Adelia. You two will have to take some time and get to know one another.” He put a blushing Adelia down. “Karin is my personal assistant, and I’m lost without her. She organizes my schedule and keeps this enterprise running smoothly. Karolin is a bit of a butterfly, as you probably noticed, and is unable or unwilling to assume complete control of Green Way Farms. Without Karin and her staff, all of it would fall apart.”
Adelia smoothed her hair, nodded hello, and offered her hand to the woman, whom she towered over in flats. “It’s nice to meet you, Karin. I’m a bit overwhelmed and really tired. It’s been a whirlwind day and night, between the competition and Karolin and Miles feting me. I’m sorry if I seem to lack enthusiasm. I think I’m going to keel over if I don’t find a bed.”
“Miles, you are wearing this girl out. Let me take her to her room immediately.”
“I’ll take her to my room, which is now her room, because I am proud to announce that Adelia and I are engaged.”
“Congratulations, boss, Adelia. It’s about time you settled down. Now I will only have to worry about Ms. Karolin.”
Miles took Adelia’s hand and led her toward a large central staircase. He called over his shoulder, “Karin, have the bags brought up. See you in the morning. Good night and thank you.”
Smiling farewell to Karin, Adelia allowed herself to be led up the heavy oak stairs as she tried to take in the relaxed elegance of Miles’s home. At the top of the stairs, they turned left.
“This side is mine, and the other side is Karolin’s. It’s pretty masculine on this side, and I’m sure you’ll want to redecorate. I want you to be happy here, Adelia, so don’t be shy. Make this your home.”
Miles flung open the double doors, and Adelia was greeted by what looked like an old English men’s club. The foyer sported comfortable, brown leather easy chairs with nailhead trim, and classic horse hunt pictures lined the walls. Brass English horn lamps provided a soft golden light on the bold colored Indian dhurrie rug beneath the pool table that anchored the room.
Miles continued through another set of double doors into the bedroom, which was large, but made cozy by the groupings of comfortable seating and tables. The large king-size bed sat opposite an oversized wood-mantled fireplace crowned with a carved antique Chinoiserie mirror. Across from the double doors through which they had entered was a library filled with leather-bound books, where Adelia could picture herself whiling away the hours of a cold winter’s evening; her nose pressed into a book. It was a masculine room, bound in English tradition and re-creating a world in which social-class boundaries surely would have prevented its current owner from mingling. It clearly represented a man that considered no doors to be closed to his wishes. Adelia was struck by this space; it reinforced the feeling that she really knew very little about this man to whom she had so precipitously become engaged and was so utterly attracted.
Turning, he took her into his arms. “Well, what do you think?”
“It’s wonderful, Miles. I can’t imagine any place more inviting.”
Beaming, he kissed her as their bags were deposited in the foyer and the doors of the suite were quietly shut. He kissed each of her shoulders, slipping the straps from her arms, and continued to undress her, nibbling at her skin until she stood naked, shivering before him. He dropped to his knees and buried his head between her legs, kissing her until she moaned. Then he rose, scooped her up, and carried her to the bed, where he gently laid her. She watched him undress, admiring his lean, muscular body. He was completely hard, his eyes black with desire as he came for her.
“I know you’re tired, baby, but I’m so excited to have you here. I want you never to forget your first night at Green Way. You seem so relaxed and yielding, without the means or desire to resist. You can’t imagine how you turn me on.”
“Oh, Miles, how could I ever forget this day or this night? You know I have no defenses when it comes to you. Whatever you want, it’s yours.”
“That’s good, because I’m very demanding.” He took her hand and placed it on his erection. “You can feel how demanding I am, can’t you?”
Hungrily, he directed her hand so that his swollen cock pressed against her until she gasped when he entered her. Sliding easily into her silken folds, he steadily pumped her, enjoying her groans, her pleasure turning him on more and more. She felt his back turn slick from his efforts, and she pulled him to her, deepening his thrusts within her. Suddenly, he pulled out of her, and she nearly cried with despair. He flipped her over, and before she could protest, he entered her from the rear, with his hands firmly holding her waist as he quickened his thrusts, slapping against her. He pounded her with endless energy. Her breath came in shallow gasps that matched the pace of his thrusts, her ample breasts moving in rhythm. Without losing stride, he reached his hand beneath her, touching her clitoris, which sent waves of small, incessant climaxes pulsing through her body.
“Oh, Miles,” she cried. “If you touch me, I’ll explode.”
“That’s it, baby. Come with me.”
His fingers caressed her simultaneously with his plunging, which grew more insistent, until together they groaned with release as he collapsed on her, his hands still cupping her sex. He undulated slowly within her, emptying himself like a stallion, while his fingers sought to give every bit of pleasure possible, until neither of them had the energy left to move. The last thing she remembered was Miles disengaging from their union and slipping the covers over them, his torso firmly pressed against her back as he whispered, “You belong to me.”
Chapter 13
Adelia was impressed. Green Way Farms had all of the essentials of a premier breeding facility. Ample acreage stretched endlessly, with separate, fenced grazing for stallions, mares, colts, and fillies. The red Amish-style barn was divided by a large central aisle and designed to house stallions. On the other side of the entrance was a separate stable equipped with extra-large birthing stalls and double-sized nursery stalls, where dam and offspring could reside together during the first few months after birth and before weaning. There was also an attached laboratory with ultrasound equipment, microscopes, and refrigerated semen storage, plus a well-stocked dispensary. Most important, the farm was ideally located, close to an excellent equine curriculum and breeding facility at Delaware Valley College.
The stable was immaculate and situated adjacent to a heated walkway that led to a large indoor arena where the horses could be exercised during the long winter months. There was also an outdoor summer ring, with viewing stands and tables and umbrellas, where sale horses could be previewed for prospective buyers. All in all, it was a well conceived and masterfully designed operation.
The farm sat on a tree-lined, rural road in the heart of Bucks County. It was surrounded by verdant pastures and farms hidden by vast cornfields, where late-summer stalks laden with silk-wrapped corn waited to be harvested. In the kitchen gardens, ripe, juicy beefsteak tomatoes grew in abundance, bursting with flavor and waiting to be harvested and served with a sprinkling of salt, pepper, and olive oil and decorated with fragrant shirred basil. Nearby were numerous beeyards, producing outstanding honey that was sought at farmers’ markets in Bucks County and beyond.
In recent years, New Hope
had become a tourist attraction and vacation destination for residents of Philadelphia and New York. It offered fine antique shopping, unique inns, and fashionable restaurants that catered to every taste and pocketbook. This influx of affluence to the community encouraged the growth of farmers’ markets, flea markets, and varied commercial enterprises, which particularly thrived in the summer and fall foliage months when the leaves variegated with red and gold.
In the first few days of Adelia’s stay at Green Way Farms, Miles dedicated himself to acclimating Adelia to New Hope and all that it had to offer. They tooled around in his silver Porsche, shopping, dining, and sight-seeing. Adelia rode horses every day, assessing the quality of stallions and mares owned by the farm and observing the stock of colts and fillies that were being raised.
Young horses normally spent the first few years of their lives among similar-aged horses, where they learned manners and social skills. At about three to four years of age, they were saddle broken and began the training necessary to compete in the hunter, jumper, equitation, or dressage disciplines. A horse’s future depended on its conformation and natural talents, which were passed down from its sire and dam. The success of a bloodline was usually apparent early on in their issue. Breeding was all about combining a male and female horse’s physical prowess and temperament into valuable offspring. Attributes such as size, beauty, ability to jump, length of stride, strength, and demeanor were all traits that breeders hoped to duplicate in successive generations to produce champion performers.
By the end of the week, Miles and Adelia had developed a rhythm to their days. While she worked the horses and studied the breeding business, Miles worked with Karin in his home office. He had explained to Adelia that after Labor Day, he and Karin would begin their daily commute to New York City and his business operations would resume in earnest. Adelia was planning to return to California after the holiday weekend. She needed to appraise Lucas of her plans to marry Miles and put things in order at the ranch. Miles had suggested that he fly out with her and ask Lucas, as her godfather, for her hand, but she had insisted that it would be better if Lucas heard it from her first. She needed time alone with Lucas to explain her feelings and plans for the future.