“Far from it.”
Or maybe it was the way he looked sitting atop his horse. The light blue button-down complemented his eyes. He bent and stroked his horse’s mane gently. It reminded her of how softly he’d touched her that night. That unforgettable night that she’d tried so very hard to forget.
“They were married for thirty years before Mr. Landon’s death, thus proving that opposites can not only attract, they can find common ground, too.”
She would have to be an idiot not to guess his point. She had the option of saying something flippant, but she couldn’t do it.
“Come on,” she said instead. “Let’s go ride on the beach.”
Chapter Fifteen
It was a ride she would never forget. From the crisp ocean breeze to the glorious sunset they witnessed. She worried about riding after dark, but a nearly full moon allowed them to see. She found herself galloping through the surf, the splash of the water a cool blast against her cheeks, the waves silvered by moonlight. They laughed, they chased each other, and just as she’d predicted, she beat him, and when it was all over, her cheeks actually hurt from smiling so much.
“I’d like to pitch a tent and stay out here forever,” she admitted as they dismounted near his truck. In the distance the crash of the waves seemed to have grown louder in the still of the night.
“We can come back anytime.”
“Really? I would hate to impose.”
“Wes doesn’t mind.”
She straightened suddenly as she pulled the reins over her horse’s head. “How many women have you brought out here?”
“What?”
She couldn’t see his face very well, but she could see his raised eyebrows. He frowned.
“How many?” she repeated.
“I’ve never done this before. Wes was the one to suggest it. He’s actually offered the use of his horses to me a few times over the years, but I’ve never done it. I’ve never wanted to bring someone out here, not until I met you.”
Oh.
She had a hard time breathing for a moment. She busied herself tying up Logan. She’d been jealous. Horribly, awfully jealous at the thought of him sharing this experience with another woman. She almost rested her head against Logan’s neck.
“Mariah, you’re the only one.” She thought she heard him release a huff of laughter. “Hell, I don’t usually spend time with any woman. One or two dinners is about all I manage.”
She stood there, the halter she’d been about to slip over Logan’s head hanging limply in her hands. Silly how his words affected her. They’d known each other for only a few weeks. And he raced horses for a living. His words shouldn’t make her feel weak at the knees.
She heard him lead his horse up next to her. “I want to spend time with you, Mariah. I’ve never wanted that before, and damned if it doesn’t scare the crap out of me, too.”
“Zach.”
He gently tugged her into his arms. She didn’t resist. He didn’t try to kiss her, just held her, and it felt so, so...right.
“In fact, I was thinking earlier about Wes and his family.”
She closed her eyes.
“They own a lot of land. I mean, a lot, and I wondered if I should ask him to open up some of his acreage to retired racehorses. You know, give them a place to live until a home could be found for them, or not. Maybe just turn them out.”
Mariah couldn’t speak. His words had robbed her of breath, again. She looked up at him. Even in the moonlight she could still make out his five o’clock shadow. She lifted a hand to stroke his jaw. “Zach.”
“Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you want me to kiss you, because you have no idea how tempted I am, and if I do, I’m not going to stop.”
She wouldn’t want him to stop.
“We need to put the horses away,” she said.
As much as she hated to admit it, they had to take care of their animals.
Reluctantly, she let him slip out of her arms. They worked in silence, Mariah feeling as if she stood at an intersection, one where she could turn left or right and depending on which way she went, one road would profoundly change her life.
So which direction would she choose?
She worried her bottom lip. Her hands shook as she unsaddled her horse. They both finished about the same time and Mariah found herself holding her breath.
“Come here.”
She knew what he wanted. He wasn’t just asking for her to slip back into his arms. He asked for so much more. She shouldn’t. She really shouldn’t. There were so many reasons why this was a bad idea. And yet still she went to him.
The moonlight caught the glint of teeth as he smiled, but he didn’t kiss her right away. “I have a blanket behind the seats. Would you like to go back to the beach for a bit?”
She didn’t think she could speak, and so she nodded. He took her hand and led her to the truck, emerging with a wool blanket a moment later, and suddenly a new sensation began to fill her. Anticipation.
She knew what that blanket meant, knew what he intended to do, and she wanted that. Oh, how she wanted it, had thought of nothing but their one night together ever since she’d left his house.
They walked up the dune, sea grass bobbing in the breeze. It was cool but not cold, and even if it had been, she’d soon be warm. He would see to that.
“Here,” he said, spreading the blanket out on the sand. The roar of the waves was louder here, sounding like the boom of thunder at times, the waves crashing farther out to shore than before. Tide moving out.
He held out a hand. She took it.
He didn’t kiss her; instead he began to undress her. The breath of the ocean blew upon her bare skin. The peasant blouse she wore was easy to slip off. No buttons, just elastic. He tugged it over her torso in one move. She undid her own bra, her breasts springing free, and rather than making her self-conscious, it made her feel emboldened. She saw his eyes narrow, her own eyes having adjusted perfectly to the darkness. In the distance one of the horses neighed. It seemed somehow fitting, though she didn’t know why.
She didn’t give him the option of taking off her jeans. She kicked off her boots and socks and undid her own snap, slowly unzipping her jeans and then peeling them ever so suggestively over her hips, down her thighs and off her calves. He didn’t move. She was pretty sure he didn’t breathe, either, and she loved what she did to him. What started as a simmer turned into a rapid boil. She flicked her hair over one shoulder and simply stood there, loving the way his eyes skated over her body, feeling his gaze like a hot caress.
“You’re beautiful.”
He reached out a hand. She arched toward him, the tip of her breast coming into contact with his hand, and she groaned. He did nothing more than touch her, but it was the anticipation, the sheer excitement of knowing what he would do to her.
“Please,” she moaned.
His index finger circled her tip, once, twice. She closed her eyes. It took her a moment to realize the finger had been replaced by his mouth. His hands slid down her side toward her hips, drawing her up against him. She might be naked. He might still wear his clothes, but it didn’t matter. She became lost in the feel of his tongue against her breast, his teeth teasing her nipple, his mouth suckling the tip.
She began to pant. The breeze did little to cool her hot flesh. His mouth paused for a moment, then began its wondrous assault on her flesh beneath her breast. First her ribs, then her belly and then— Oh, heaven.
She clutched his head.
“I want to hear you scream my name.”
He’d knelt before her and she hadn’t even noticed, because he was nuzzling her and then using his hands to part her....
“Zach.”
“Louder
,” he urged, his tongue flicking out and finding her center.
She gasped, and when his mouth found her nub, she cried out. His hands cupped her rear, moving her, urging her higher. She heard her moans, her rhythmic cries of pleasure. They grew louder and louder until—
“Zach,” she cried, clutching his head. “Zach.”
Somehow she collapsed; somehow she was beneath him. She still rode waves of pleasure, the weight of him resting between her thighs.
“I want you.”
She told him without words she wanted him, too, lifting her hips. He shifted. She knew he readied himself, knew that at any moment...
There.
She whimpered. She would have never thought it possible to feel the need for him again, not so quickly, but the moment she felt him, she gasped. It was there, the keening, tingling need, right there in the pit of her stomach. She wrapped herself around him.
“Look at me,” he ordered.
She opened her eyes, stared into his blue depths. He shifted, one of his hands brushing the side of her face.
“Look at what you do to me, Mariah.”
He moved. She wanted to close her eyes again, but something in his gaze prohibited her from doing so. He held her as he gently took her. He kissed her, but it was a brief brush of his lips, almost as if he couldn’t stop himself from doing so, but he went right back to staring into her eyes as he moved inside of her. This was no frenzied coupling, she realized. This was soft and gentle and something wholly different. Something she’d never felt before.
He kissed her again, and this time he lingered and she opened her mouth, his kiss matching the gentleness of his lovemaking. Supple mouth. Tender touches. Soothing kisses. Her pleasure began to build. His, too. She could feel him edge closer, ever closer. His hand left her face, clutched her hand. His head drew back and he stared and she stared back, his name sliding past her lips.
“Zach.”
It repeated in her head—Zach, Zach, Zach—as she climbed higher and higher until for a second time she shuddered in pure pleasure. He kissed her again and she felt something build behind her eyes, something that had to do with the beauty of it all and with how completely perfect it felt to be in his arms.
“Mariah,” he said softly.
And when she came back to Earth and looked into his eyes, she knew he felt the same way.
* * *
THEY SPENT THE NIGHT at the beach. At some point Zach must have gone back to his truck and pulled out another blanket, because she woke up with a quilt over top of her. A good thing, too, because fog had rolled in during the night. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, registering the sound of her cell phone’s alarm. She sat up, having to scramble to find where her pants were, and pulled out her phone a few seconds later.
“Shit.”
She had to be at work in an hour.
“What time is it?” Zach asked.
“Almost seven.”
“Shit,” he echoed, sitting up, too.
How had she managed to sleep through the whole night without once awakening? They had at least a half hour drive back home.
“Guess I’m wearing this to work this morning.” She located her undergarments, slipping them on. “Can you drop me by?”
“Won’t you need your car during the day?”
“No. I use the clinic’s truck.”
“Then yes.”
“Great. Thanks.”
She dressed in record time. She didn’t bother with her boots. She’d put them on in the truck. The sand beneath her feet had turned cold and damp during the night. She ignored it, heading for the path across the dune, but as they crested the top, they were brought up short by the sight of Wes tossing hay to his horses in the corral down below.
“Good morning,” he called out to them.
She glanced at the ground, hoping against hope a giant crack would open up in front of her, one she could jump into. Last night had changed things between her and Zach, but she wasn’t exactly sure what that meant or if she was ready for the whole world to know about the two of them.
“Morning,” Zach called back, stepping forward again.
The only reason she didn’t turn and run away from the knowing look of amusement on Wes’s face was that they were already late.
Instead she pasted a smile on her face as they reached the man and said, “No time to talk, Wes. Running late, but thanks for letting us use your horses last night.”
He laughed and her dratted cheeks flared with color and she mentally cursed inside. By tomorrow the entire backstretch would know she and Zach were sleeping together.
“Call you later,” Zach said as he unlocked his truck. Mariah all but dove into the passenger seat.
“Actually, I’ll see you out at the track,” Wes replied.
Zach lifted a hand and turned to Mariah. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you to work in time.”
“What about you? Won’t you be late, too?”
He glanced at her and smiled. “I’m the boss. I can be as late as I want.”
True. And so what if Wes knew she was in a relationship with Zach. Sooner or later it was bound to come out. Wait. Were they in a relationship?
“Should I find a ride home tonight?” she asked.
He was busy navigating down the gravel road, but he took the time to smile at her again. “No. I’ll pick you up.”
“You sure? You don’t have to.”
A hand landed on her thigh. “Mariah, I want to see you.”
In a relationship. With a racehorse owner.
You’ve lost your mind.
“We need to work on Dasher tonight,” she reminded him.
“I’ll take you to dinner after.”
Her heart leaped, which was crazy because she just couldn’t get around what he did for a living and her own work with CEASE. They would have to find middle ground, she told herself, something he seemed committed to doing, so what was she worried about? They could work it out. Some of her friends from CEASE might not like it, but they’d get over it, especially Jillian. Sooner or later her friend would see that Zach was a really nice guy.
One who strapped saddles on baby horses and then forced them to run as hard as they could before their legs had even finished growing.
Stop!
It would work out. It had to.
Chapter Sixteen
She looked a little nauseous when she hopped out of his truck and headed into work. Zach told himself that was because of the breakneck speeds he’d reached trying to get her to work on time. They’d made it but only just barely, Zach having to content himself with a quick kiss goodbye.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. One of the few horses he had in training, Cash Only Special, was in a race this weekend and he’d come up a little sore the other day. He’d almost told Mariah about it, had been tempted to let her examine the bay gelding he’d nicknamed Cash, but the last thing he wanted was a lecture on how pushing a young horse was bad. Still, he felt like a cheating husband when he spotted Doc Miller walking toward him.
“Zach,” the gray-haired man said, eyeing the horse tied up outside its stall. The black polo shirt with Miller Equine printed across the left breast couldn’t be comfortable. Once the coastal fog had burned off, it’d turned into a blazing-hot day. “What seems to be the problem?”
He’d tell Mariah it’d been the owner’s decision to call Doc Miller, that was what he’d do.
You’re going to lie to her.
He silenced the voice by sheer force of will. “He’s stepping a little short on the right front. Not a lot, just enough to make me worry there might be something going on.”
Doc Miller pulled up the legs of his jeans before squatting down by Cash’s side. “I hear you’re seeing that Mariah woman.”
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Wow. Word had gotten around fast. Not that he would have expected any different, especially with as many times as he’d been seen with her.
“She’s just a friend.”
“Guess that could be a good thing. At least you won’t be a target of her craziness anymore.”
Zach bit back a sarcastic retort, surprised by the burst of instant irritation. “She’s actually a great gal.”
“She’s pretty, too. I hear she’s a vet.”
Word really had traveled fast. “She is.”
“Surprised you didn’t call her.” Doc Miller felt down first one leg, then the other.
“She doesn’t like coming to the track.”
Not exactly true, but he didn’t feel like explaining the complexities of his relationship with Mariah to Miller.
“Except when she’s protesting.” Doc Miller glanced up, smiled. “I don’t feel any heat. Why don’t you trot him out so I can see what you mean?”
Happy for the change of subject, Zach did as asked, pointing out to Doc Miller how Cash seemed to flinch when turning left or right. “Stone bruise, you think?”
“Could be,” the doctor answered. “You know, I heard some of the trainers talking. A few of them aren’t too happy about having her around.”
“What do you mean?”
“Coming to the track. They think she’s just using you. They think she’s trying to get videos of horses being abused or something.”
“You’re kidding.”
Doc Miller squatted again, this time feeling for a digital pulse. They thought Mariah was spying on them?
“Tell them she hasn’t even asked to come to the track. She avoids this place like the plague.”
Doc Miller nodded, felt around some more. “Good to know.” He stood again. “Could be a sprain. Let’s trot him around a bit again.”
They thought she was a spy? Obviously, they didn’t know her that well.
Throughout the rest of the appointment, Zach kept turning the doctor’s words over in his mind. He didn’t care what his fellow trainers thought, but he did worry about Mariah and her feelings. She would be hurt if she caught wind of what was being said.
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