All About Hope

by Ashley Erin

  Slowing Ollie to a trot, I begin our cooldown. When his breathing has slowed, I dismount and walk him around the arena a couple times to ensure he’s cooled down enough. Leading him to the tie stall, I quickly untack him and rub him down until his coat shines before settling him into his stall with some feed and his supplements. The entire time I perform my tasks, I’m remembering that night with such acuity that by the time I’m done putting his tack away, my body is quivering in need.

  Scowling, I clench my thighs trying to alleviate the ache, getting more and more pissed off at Alex the entire time. He did this to me. I was fine. I met my own needs and didn’t need anything from anyone. Now, I can’t come unless it’s to images in my head of that night with Alex. He’s ruined my ability to need nothing from anyone.

  Flipping the lights, I burst through the door cursing under my breath and crash into a hard, hot body. Glancing up, I step back into the now closed door of the barn. “Alex.”

  Alex’s hazel eyes take in my disheveled appearance. My hair is wild from running patterns with Ollie, my skin covered in a light layer of sweat and dust. When his eyes fall on the slight sliver of skin showing between my jeans and tank top, his eyes shoot back to mine where they bore into my soul. He steps back a foot, his eyes moving between mine and the barn door as he tries to think of something to say. “I didn’t know you were in the barn.”

  “I was working Ollie. We have a show in May.” Tucking my hands in my back pockets, I lean back, propping one foot against the wall, trying to ignore the way my body has lit up from the inside. I’ve spent the last ninety minutes replaying that one night, and now the object of my desire is standing here looking at me with false indifference. Despite his best efforts, I know he’s still attracted to me, because if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be avoiding me all of the damn time.

  When he starts to turn without another word, I shove off the wall, closing the distance between us.

  Enough is enough.

  I fist my hand in his shirt when he moves to walk away again, and step into him, tilting my head up so he can’t avoid looking at me. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

  “No . . .” He tries to look away, but I raise my other hand and hold it against the back of his head.

  “Don’t lie to me, Alex. We used to spend time together, and now you don’t remain in a room with me more than the necessary amount of time to be considered polite. Don’t even get me started on the fact you haven’t been alone with me since the engagement party.

  “What I don’t get is that you’re the one who initiated that night. You’re the one who made the first move, not me. I haven’t been some clingy chick you picked up in a bar, so what gives?” Holding him in place, I glare up at him, locking his gaze in mine.

  He sighs and runs a hand down his face before looking at my hand still grasping his shirt. “I’ve been a dick for no reason, haven’t I?”

  “Well, I wasn’t going to use those exact words, but yeah.” Grinning, I drop my hand when he chuckles softly.

  “In the heat of the moment, all I could think about was you and how much I wanted to feel you. Afterwards, all I could think about was everyone else and what they would do if they found out. I don’t want a relationship and the pressure would be there, I know how Emma thinks.” His smirk drops into a frown as I gape at him.

  “That is the lamest thing I’ve ever heard. Your hot factor just dropped by two points.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I narrow my eyes. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, but there is a slight smirk he’s fighting at my comment. Cocking my hip out, I scowl. “Let’s go through these one at a time. First off, no one knows what happened and there is no reason for them to know. Second, you’re assuming I want a relationship; that’s something I haven’t had the desire for in a long time. Been there, done that, and I have the emotional scarring as a souvenir.”

  Alex has made me wonder, hope even, but for the most part I’m still leery of entering a relationship, especially with someone as skittish as Alex, so I don’t feel like I’m lying.

  “My hot factor?” Alex grins at me, cocking his head to the side in a way that is too cute. He’s trying to distract me, but it won’t work.

  “Seriously? That’s what you took from that?” Shaking my head, I step toward him and place my hand on his chest, pressing my body into his. For a moment, all I can think about is the hard muscle beneath my hand and remembering the way it looked when he pounded into me.

  Grinding my teeth, I focus back on the man before me. “All I want is someone I trust to have hot sex with. Get your head out of your ass and think about it. If that’s not what you want, fine, but we’re friends Alex, and it hurts my feelings that it’s so easy for you to forget that.”

  Lifting onto my toes, I press a chaste kiss to his lips, drawing away before he can react. Brushing past him, I saunter to my house.

  I’m not a pushover, and I’m not going to let him get away with this shitty behavior any more.

  I slept like complete and utter shit last night. Tossing and turning as I replayed Lia’s taunt in my head, I’m guessing I got no more than three hours. Three hours that were filled with dreams of Lia beneath me. Not that those dreams are anything new, I’ve had them every night since Emma and Dane’s engagement party.

  Her words are on repeat in my head.

  You’re avoiding me.

  I’m not some clingy chick you picked up in a bar.

  We’re friends . . .

  You hurt my feelings.

  As if I’m not already haunted by that one night, her slender body pressed against mine as I pounded into her tight, wet pussy, but now the guilt I’ve been ignoring at the way I’ve been avoiding her is at the forefront of my mind.

  Throwing the covers off, I sit on the edge of my bed, running my hands down my face. For months Lia allowed me to avoid her, but she’s made it clear she’s not willing to play that game anymore.

  I’ve never been a coward, but I’ve also never been attracted to someone so close to Emma before. All of my previous partners have been strangers I’ve picked up—typical one-night stands. The closest I had to a serious relationship was a similar arrangement to what Lia is suggesting, but six months in she couldn’t handle my friendship with Emma so I was done. Lia is part of Emma’s family, which means I need to tread carefully. Although, at least I can be sure she won’t get jealous of Em.

  “Alex, are you coming?” Emma knocks on the door, opening it after a beat.

  “Yeah.” Tugging the t-shirt I’m holding over my head, I follow her out of my room and down the stairs. Chloe is bouncing around at our feet, a toy in her mouth. Stepping onto the porch, I throw it for her, my eyes on the house across the yard.

  “You seem distracted. Are you finally going to tell me what’s gotten your panties in a bunch for the past six months?” Emma bends to take the toy from Chloe and throws it for her again.

  “I’m fine, really.” Avoiding Emma’s look of disbelief, I watch Chloe play by herself in the yard.

  “You’re so full of shit.” She bounds down the steps, shaking her head. “It’s me, we’ve been telling each other everything for a decade. Now stop being avoidant.”

  Lengthening my strides, I catch up to her and glance down. Her feelings are hurt, the look on her face makes my stomach twist. I’m on a fucking roll.

  “I’m sorry, it’s not that I want to keep anything from you, I just don’t know how to put it into words.” The lie comes easily, I’ve been saying it enough over the past several months. She looks at me skeptically, but accepts my answer.

  As we walk into the Hyatt’s house, I shove my thumbs into the pocket of my jeans.

  I hate that I’ve been so fucking moody. It changes now, I’m not this guy.

  Walking into the kitchen, I fight the grin that threatens when I see the only available seats are next to Lia and Dane. She’s really not going to let me avoid this anymore.

  “Good morning.” Filling my plate, I listen to Ryan and Dane discussin
g the horses. The mares in foal are due in about a month and they’re moving them closer to the house today to prepare.

  “Alex, if you’re free, we could use an extra hand,” Ryan inquires.

  “Yeah, I would . . .” My cutlery clatters to my plate as a hand strokes over my cock, gripping me through my jeans. Five sets of eyes watch me as I adjust the table cloth, and clear my throat. “Yeah, I would be glad to help.”

  Swallowing hard, I pick up my knife and fork, shrugging innocently at Emma’s glance before I look sideways at Lia. The smirk on her face as she eats is a silent challenge.

  Ryan and Dane return to their conversation, leaving me to try and act like nothing out of the ordinary is going on.

  Cutting into my French toast, I focus on chewing, the normally delicious meal has no flavor. Every part of my body is zoned in on Lia stroking me and trying to act as though I don’t have an erection at the breakfast table.

  Forcing my face into a look of passiveness, I tune back into the conversation Dane and Ryan are having, hoping to distract myself. They’re now discussing the yearlings and which ones they want to sell.

  “Alex, I want to add photos of some of the yearlings to the ranch’s website. Do you have time to sit down this week and tweak it a little bit?” Dane looks over at me and I’m glad I’ve been paying attention to more than the hand that has now made its way inside my boxer briefs.

  “Yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem.” My voice is low and I fight a groan as Lia’s thumb teases the tip of my dick before stroking down in a slow torturous motion.

  “Perfect. I will take some photos after we move the mares today and email them to you later. The layout is perfect, I was thinking we should separate the horses by age and the amount of training they’ve had, rather than have them all on the same page. If we can create a tab that appears when you hover the mouse over the sale button, I think that would be perfect.”

  Nodding in response, I quickly stuff a forkful of food into my mouth to keep a groan from escaping. Lia’s hand has picked up the pace, stroking me in exactly the way I like it.

  Lia chuckles softly to herself as she slides her hand out of my pants and stands up from the table, carrying her dishes to the sink. My eyes follow her as she first rinses then sticks them in the dishwasher, before walking to the door of the kitchen.

  “Well, friends, I’m off to the clinic.” She winks at me with a smirk before walking out of the room, everyone saying casual goodbyes and chatting, all the while I’m trying not to chase after her. My dick screams at her for leaving me like this, an ache already forming from the absence of release. She will be punished for this.

  Releasing the mare from her halter, I watch as she trots off to the fresh round bale of hay Jesse dropped in the pen after breakfast this morning. Pulling the baseball cap off my head, I swipe my hand across my forehead before replacing it.

  Dane and Ryan have fifteen horses in foal, all due within a couple weeks of each other. I missed seeing the foals being born last year, arriving on the ranch when they were already almost two months old. I’ve learned that in the horse world, they prefer foals to be born in May. I don’t really understand the reason behind it, but seasonally it makes sense. The snow is finally gone and the weather is warming up.

  “Is there anything else I can help you with?” Turning away from the horses, I look to the guys.

  Dane latches the gate before facing me, shaking his head. “No. Ryan has to head out to a client’s house, and I have six horses I need to work today. Thanks for your help with these mares, it saved us an extra trip.”

  Nodding, we say goodbye and I head to the small barn on Emma’s land. Grabbing my saddle, I set out to get Chandler ready. Lia is going to learn what happens when she taunts me.

  All morning I’ve been distracted, trying to decide how to repay her for what she did at the breakfast table. It’s clear that the sexual tension between us is only growing, so I’m giving in to what we both want.

  The ride to Lia’s clinic seems to take twice as long as usual. The state of art building is massive. It has its own entrance from the road, so clients don’t infringe on the family’s private space.

  Lia’s half of the building features six indoor stalls, a tie stall, a wash stall, a small arena, and a pool that is specially built for horses. Off to the side is her office, which also houses a small living quarters for nights she needs to stay close to her patients.

  Ryan’s half of the building is smaller. It’s one open room that has all the supplies he needs for his clients, including space to work on horses in the rare occasion a client travels to him. The Hyatt’s ranch is immensely successful, and they work hard to maintain the buildings and land.

  Glancing around, I see that Ryan’s work truck isn’t in its usual place, the windows of his shop dark. Thankfully, most of his work is done at his client’s house, which makes it easier for me to see Lia without worrying about interruptions.

  Dismounting, I tie Chandler in one of the tie stalls attached to the building, tossing him some hay from the stack alongside it. The door to Lia’s clinic is open, a dance song I don’t recognize drifting out. Lia is facing away from the door, shaking her hips as she fills in the giant calendar on her wall.

  Leaning against the doorframe, I take in the view, a grin growing on my face. She is barefoot, her boots lying next to the open door. Her dark hair falls in loose waves over her shoulders, and, at some point, she changed from her jeans into a flowing skirt that brushes the tops of her knees. Perfect.

  Lia spins in a circle, her skirt swirling out to reveal her toned legs. Legs that I can’t wait to have wrapped around me again.

  Her eyes widen and she stumbles when she catches sight of me in the doorway before bending over laughing. “Oh my God. You scared the crap out of me, you creeper.” She straightens her body, dropping down into her office chair, soft chuckles drawing my eyes to the low V of her tank top.

  Dragging my gaze from the flush on her chest, I finally look into her eyes, smirking when I see a hint of hesitation. She’s apprehensive and she should be. Pushing away from the doorway, shutting it with a kick behind me, I slowly walk towards her. “I thought it was time for you to be punished for this morning.”

  Her eyes lighten with amusement as she leans back in her chair, crossing her ankles underneath her. Her warm brown eyes focus on each movement I make, they glow with a challenge that I’m eager to meet. She hums as I get closer, the sound sending a bolt of arousal down my spine and straight to my cock.

  I move around her desk and drop to my knees before her without losing eye contact. Biting back a groan at the look of heated interest, I slide my hands under her skirt, grab her panties and tug them down her legs. She lifts her hips without me asking, her hands gripping the arm rests of her chair.

  I shift her forward, bunching her skirt up around her hips. “You’re so beautiful.” Trailing my fingertips over her pussy, I groan at how wet she is. “You’re so wet for me and I haven’t even done anything yet.”

  “If this is your form of punishment, feel free to punish me any time you want.” Her eyes drift closed as I increase the pressure, her words coming out on a moan as I slide one finger into her wet heat.

  Grinning, I pull my hand away until she opens her eyes and glares at me. Leaning forward, I slide my tongue over her, watching her face as she shifts closer to me. Her eyes are hooded, but she doesn’t close them again, instead she watches me as I start to devour her.

  I work her clit with my tongue as I slide two fingers into her, curling them to hit that sweet spot. Her moans get louder as I consume her, my tongue circling her nub as I work my fingers faster until she’s shaking. Her body tenses as she pushes into me.

  “God, you’re so fucking responsive.” Watching her, I throw away my plan to leave her aching like she did to me. She’s too beautiful and I have been haunted by the singular vision I have of her orgasming. I need to see it again.

  I’ve never been with a woman like Lia. She’
s not afraid to demand more of me, but her body tells me exactly what she needs. I want to learn every sweet spot. I want to hear her scream my name. I just want more of her.

  “Alex . . .”

  “I know, baby.” She’s so close. Sucking on her clit, I pump my fingers faster bringing her there when a knock interrupts us.

  Lia frantically shoves me under her desk, much to my amusement, before straightening her skirt and opening her laptop. “Yeah?” Her voice is hoarse, thick with need.

  “Hey.” Dane’s voice is unmistakable, even muffled by the large desk I’m huddled under. “Where is Alex?”

  Lia coughs, shifting her chair closer to the desk. “Alex? I have no idea, why?”

  Her voice cracks, and as much as I’m enjoying this, it’s also tempting me to play dirty. I don’t want Dane to know I’m here, but an opportunity has presented itself to tease Lia.

  “Oh. Chandler is tied up outside, since Ryan isn’t here I just assumed he was in here with you.” Grinning at the skepticism in his voice, I hold in a laugh as Lia squirms in her chair. Forcing her knees open with my shoulder, I slide my hand under her skirt and up her thigh, circling her clit with my thumb as she sputters out a response.

  “Maybe he wanted to see the yearlings and didn’t want to risk Chandler getting overly excited.” She tries to shove my hand away. Instead, I lean in and fuck her with my tongue, increasing the pressure of my thumb. Lia’s hand fists in my hair, pulling it as she clears her throat. “Anyways, I really need to finish up what I’m working on.”

  “You’re being weird. What’s going on?” His voice gets closer as he moves into the room.

  She’s tries to push me away with her hands, while her hips shift even closer. Her voice is strangled when she says, “Nothing. I just need to be alone.” Her voice squeaks over the last word as I increase the pace of my tongue. I can feel her body shivering, getting closer to release and I relentlessly devour her.

  “Okay . . .” He drags out the word, clearly not believing her. “Emma and I are hosting game night tonight at Emma’s house. Are you interested in joining us?”