having thoughts I shouldn’t.”
Her face held an expression of further confusion. “I don’t understand.”
He gave her a tender grin. “It’s not important. I’ll race you the rest of the way.”
She smiled back and replied with, “You’re on.”
They hadn’t had far to go, but John let her win anyway. Although she kept up, he would have beaten her. He pretended everything was fine again, when deep inside a storm of hellish proportions circulated within him. What the hell was he going to do about Melissa?
The two-day break between their sessions helped his sanity but the tension escalated once more when Monday morning arrived. At least training had gone well as they had both concentrated on getting record speeds. John encouraged and pushed, Melissa accomplished and surpassed.
At the end of the day John and Melissa were in the barn brushing down their horses. As they finished, Melissa asked John about the plans he had for purchasing future thoroughbreds. Melissa listened with intense concentration while leaning against a bale of stacked hay, her fingers holding a single piece of hay between her lips. John continued to talk as he stood across from her, taking off his shirt. Sweat had beaded upon his chest, making his skin glisten. He tossed the shirt on a nearby bale of hay, removing next the leather tie holding his hair together. Bending over at the waist, his hands rested on his strong thighs as he shook debris loose from his long black hair.
Melissa suppressed a groan as she watched his fluid movements. Whipping his hair back his eyes met hers, shimmering gray piercing through her. She couldn’t help but stare in unconcealed fascination. “I’ve never seen you with your hair unbound. You look quite different,” she told him, placing the single piece of hay back into her mouth.
“How so?” he asked as he was striding over to her with purpose.
“It’s very reckless looking,” she purred. Seduction sprang in her eyes while being hypnotized by this tall and dark man stepping toward her. Her words were out before she could retract them. His actions told her he hadn’t mistaken her meaning.
“Is that so? Should I act the part?” he asked, positioning his arms around her as his knees were bending in order to lift her. Carrying her up the ladder to the hayloft, her protest didn’t put a dent in his progress.
“John, what are you doing? Put me down,” she exclaimed, snapping back to reality, unaware of her arms wrapping around his neck for balance.
“I want to show you the view from up here,” he said, revealing a devilish grin.
When they reached the top of the loft he set her on her feet, then plopped himself on the dusty wooden floor, leaning his back against a bale of hay. His long legs stretched out wide so she could sit between them. His hand touched the floor, motioning her over. “Come here and sit with me,” he said.
Reluctantly she sat between his buckskin thighs with her back facing him.
Leaning forward his mouth whispered in her ear, “You’ve lost your piece of hay.”
Her fingers went to her mouth, realizing how observant he was when she hadn’t noticed. She wanted to turn and look at him but the heat from their closeness stalled her actions. As it was the close proximity of how they were sitting seemed a little too comfortable and much too dangerous.
“Now isn’t that a spectacular view?” she heard him say, jarring her attention. A long finger pointed toward the window view of lush green rolling hills and flourishing oak and mulberry trees as far as the eye could see.
“Yes it is,” she replied as they both stared into the never-ending landscape. Both remained immersed in their own peaceful thoughts until Melissa mentioned her mother. “I often come up here to think. Sometimes when I miss my mother it helps bring back the happy memories. She used to ride all over those hills,” she said, her fingers gesturing in the direction she spoke.
“How long has
Her face held an expression of further confusion. “I don’t understand.”
He gave her a tender grin. “It’s not important. I’ll race you the rest of the way.”
She smiled back and replied with, “You’re on.”
They hadn’t had far to go, but John let her win anyway. Although she kept up, he would have beaten her. He pretended everything was fine again, when deep inside a storm of hellish proportions circulated within him. What the hell was he going to do about Melissa?
The two-day break between their sessions helped his sanity but the tension escalated once more when Monday morning arrived. At least training had gone well as they had both concentrated on getting record speeds. John encouraged and pushed, Melissa accomplished and surpassed.
At the end of the day John and Melissa were in the barn brushing down their horses. As they finished, Melissa asked John about the plans he had for purchasing future thoroughbreds. Melissa listened with intense concentration while leaning against a bale of stacked hay, her fingers holding a single piece of hay between her lips. John continued to talk as he stood across from her, taking off his shirt. Sweat had beaded upon his chest, making his skin glisten. He tossed the shirt on a nearby bale of hay, removing next the leather tie holding his hair together. Bending over at the waist, his hands rested on his strong thighs as he shook debris loose from his long black hair.
Melissa suppressed a groan as she watched his fluid movements. Whipping his hair back his eyes met hers, shimmering gray piercing through her. She couldn’t help but stare in unconcealed fascination. “I’ve never seen you with your hair unbound. You look quite different,” she told him, placing the single piece of hay back into her mouth.
“How so?” he asked as he was striding over to her with purpose.
“It’s very reckless looking,” she purred. Seduction sprang in her eyes while being hypnotized by this tall and dark man stepping toward her. Her words were out before she could retract them. His actions told her he hadn’t mistaken her meaning.
“Is that so? Should I act the part?” he asked, positioning his arms around her as his knees were bending in order to lift her. Carrying her up the ladder to the hayloft, her protest didn’t put a dent in his progress.
“John, what are you doing? Put me down,” she exclaimed, snapping back to reality, unaware of her arms wrapping around his neck for balance.
“I want to show you the view from up here,” he said, revealing a devilish grin.
When they reached the top of the loft he set her on her feet, then plopped himself on the dusty wooden floor, leaning his back against a bale of hay. His long legs stretched out wide so she could sit between them. His hand touched the floor, motioning her over. “Come here and sit with me,” he said.
Reluctantly she sat between his buckskin thighs with her back facing him.
Leaning forward his mouth whispered in her ear, “You’ve lost your piece of hay.”
Her fingers went to her mouth, realizing how observant he was when she hadn’t noticed. She wanted to turn and look at him but the heat from their closeness stalled her actions. As it was the close proximity of how they were sitting seemed a little too comfortable and much too dangerous.
“Now isn’t that a spectacular view?” she heard him say, jarring her attention. A long finger pointed toward the window view of lush green rolling hills and flourishing oak and mulberry trees as far as the eye could see.
“Yes it is,” she replied as they both stared into the never-ending landscape. Both remained immersed in their own peaceful thoughts until Melissa mentioned her mother. “I often come up here to think. Sometimes when I miss my mother it helps bring back the happy memories. She used to ride all over those hills,” she said, her fingers gesturing in the direction she spoke.
“How long has
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