by Rye Hart
“What are you doing in here?” I asked.
“I had to get out of there,” she said, jerking her head behind her.
She walked up to the closest stall. The horse she’d ridden just a few days earlier poked his head out. She smiled at him and ran her hands over his face. He whinnied and nuzzled closer to her hands.
Easy there, sport. This one’s all mine.
“What’s it for anyway?” I asked, stepping up beside her. Close enough for her to feel my body heat.
“Oh, that?” She seemed aware of our closeness and I enjoyed watching her blush. It was incredibly sexy.
“Well, to be honest, it’s a pretentious charity affair,” she said. “They’re all just a ruse to blow up everyone’s already overinflated egos. Every single person in that event hall could cough up thousands of dollars for whatever cause they wanted, but they don’t unless there’s a glass of champagne in their hand and a hundred pairs of eyes on them. It’s nuts.”
I watched her with wide eyes. Yes, she looked gorgeous in the moonlight and any man would struggle to stop from scanning her body, but I was more stunned by her words. I’d never heard someone of her class speak in such a way. It was sexy as hell.
“And here I thought every one of you trust fund kids were the same,” I teased. “Aren’t these events what you live for?”
“Hardly.” Caroline gave a stern look. “My parents live for them. I’d rather be out here, with these beautiful creatures.” She said as she motioned to the horses.
“And me?” I asked with a grin. She glanced at me and laughed. I took that as a good sign so I took another small step toward her.
We both stroked the animal gently, not speaking. It was nice out here with Caroline. The sounds from the party were muffled now and there were crickets chirping around us. Moonlight was seeping through the open barn doors, illuminating Caroline’s figure in a soft glow.
“Won’t your parents wonder where you are?” I asked. My voice was low, gruff.
“No,” she snorted. “Not at all.”
“Oh?” I asked.
“They’re too busy schmoozing the important people,” Caroline said with a sigh. “When I left, my mother was discussing marriage options with the Vanderwalts.”
“Marriage?” I raised my eyebrows.
“My parents have been trying to find me a suitable match since the day I turned sixteen,” Caroline said. “They arrange dates with their friends’ sons and expect me to win myself a proposal.”
“That sounds—”
“Disgusting?” Caroline offered. “Medieval? Patriarchal? Yeah, it is.”
“And you aren’t interested in any of the guys?” I asked. “I mean, they all have money and come from great families. What more could you want?”
“Everything,” Caroline sighed. “I’ve known these guys since I was five. They are all the same: egotistical, spoiled, and entitled. They lie to get what they want and they throw money at any problem that arises. It’s not what I’m about.”
“I understand,” I said with a soft laugh. “Why don’t you just tell your parents that?”
“Yeah.” Caroline scoffed. “Like I haven’t tried.”
“They don’t listen?” I asked.
“That can’t be so strange, can it?” Caroline asked. “How many parents actually listen to their children? I mean, do your parents listen to you?”
I shook my head and glanced down at my feet. She was right. My mother never listened to anything I wanted, especially when it came to her getting sober.
“My father died when I was young,” I said. “And my mom…well, she’s not usually in the right frame of mind to listen to anything. She’s too busy drowning herself in vodka.”
“That sucks. I’m sorry to hear that,” Caroline said as she lowered her head.
“Thanks. It really does suck,” I said.
I’d never told any girl about my parents before. My conquests were always too short-lived to ever discuss the important things. I met a girl, I fucked her, I moved on. That was my routine. Caroline was already different. She spoke openly about her life. It was refreshing and strange at the same time.
“I’m sorry you have to deal with that,” Caroline said softly.
I shrugged. “I’ve been taking care of her for so long. I’m not sure what I would do if she actually got sober.”
“Have a life of your own?” Caroline offered kindly.
“What does that feel like?” I laughed.
“I don’t know.” Caroline laughed back. “Let me know if you ever figure it out.”
“I will.”
We smiled at each other and suddenly, it felt like the entire world disappeared around us. I couldn’t hear the noise from the party anymore and even the horses had fallen silent. Caroline’s eyes flickered from mine down to my lips and then back again.
I wanted to wrap my fingers around her waist and pull her petite body against mine. I was working up to the moment when I could finally kiss her and I felt a burning in my stomach that propelled me forward. Before I knew what I was doing, my lips were only inches from hers.
Before I could act on my impulse, I hear footsteps approaching behind me and I whirled around to find, my boss had rounded the corner and fixed me with a surprised look. “Still here, Dean?” he asked suspiciously.
“Just finished up,” I said. “I’m walking out now.”
“All right,” Trevor said but his eyes were still watching me closely.
I hurried out of the barn and half-ran toward my waiting truck. I hopped into the cab and fired up the engine, ramming my foot on the gas and peeling out of the parking lot. I didn’t calm down until I’d made it home and slowly crept through the front door.
My mother was passed out on the couch. I sighed with relief at the sight. The last thing I needed was to deal with her drunken antics tonight. On my way to my room, I peeked in on my brother to make sure he was home. He was sound asleep. Good.
When I reached my room, my mind was still so focused on Caroline that I threw myself on the bed and ripped my jeans from my body. My hand was wrapped around my rock-hard cock in an instant.
I could still see Caroline’s body in my mind, wrapped so tightly in that little green dress. I imagined spinning her around and shoving her tits against the horse stall while I hiked up that dress and took her from behind.
She would cry out with pleasure as I pounded into her, begging me not to stop. My hand pumped my dick with ferocity as I closed my eyes and pictured her perfect little ass bouncing with my penetration. I could hear her cries of ecstasy and see her red face. When I finally released into my hand, I grunted and her name fell from my lips.
“Caroline.”
I was panting and my chest felt tight. I laid on my bed for a second longer, waiting for the orgasm to work itself out. When the waves of pleasure had finally subsided, I hurried into the bathroom and jumped in the shower, thinking about Caroline’s naked body the entire time.
I had to have her.
CHAPTER FOUR - CAROLINE
Dean worked on Fridays, so I knew exactly where I was going to be that day. We’d only seen each other in passing since our almost-kiss in the barn. I tried to talk to him but his boss always appeared at his side or my mother popped up behind me. It felt like the universe was conspiring to keep us apart but I didn’t care. Today was Friday and I was going to see him.
As I parked in the club’s parking lot, I immediately began to scan the area for Dean. I’d never felt so excited about a guy before. Usually, I was desperate to just get away from them. With Dean, I longed to be near him, to see his blue eyes lock on mine. There was something about him that drew me in like a magnet, and it was both incredibly exciting and frightening all at once.
“Miss Michaelson!” I spun around at the sound of my name. Trevor, the manager of the barn and grounds, was hurrying toward me.
“Hello, Trevor,” I said with a polite smile. “How are you today?”
“I’m doing just f
ine, Miss Michaelson,” Trevor said. “I saw you coming and realized I didn’t have your name down for a ride today. Was that an oversight?”
“Oh no,” I said, waving my hand. “I’m not here to ride. Just to enjoy the nice weather.”
“Very good,” Trevor said with a nod. “Well, I’ll leave you to it.”
“Thank you.” I smiled again and watched as Trevor hurried away.
I sighed and slowly followed him toward the barn. The last thing I needed was for word to get back to my parents that I was hanging around the stables for no reason. If Trevor suspected anything, he would be sure to whisper in my father’s ear with the hope of getting a nice handout for his trouble. I rolled my eyes at the thought as I rounded the corner and stepped in front of the barn.
My eyes immediately fell on Dean. He was spraying down a horse, the water ricocheting off the animal and hitting his face and shirt. I swallowed hard as I watched. Dean’s shirt was white and now, completely transparent. From where I stood, I could see the outline of every single one of his muscles. My mouth was dry and I felt my stomach clench with desire.
Shaking myself, I slowly walked over to him.
“Hey there,” I said.
Dean looked around and when his eyes fell on my face, he grinned widely and turned off the water hose.
“Miss Caroline,” he said with a sarcastic bow. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“Just going for a walk,” I said, shrugging. “Thought I’d stop in to see the horses.”
“The horses?” Dean raised his eyebrows.
“Among other things,” I said playfully, my eyes scanning his chest.
“Well, since you’re here…” he said, trailing off. He looked down at the water hose in his hands and held it out to me.
“You want me to help?” I asked with a laugh.
“Unless you don’t want to mess up your flawless outfit,” Dean said, glancing down at my body. I felt my cheeks flush from his attention.
His eyes contained a challenge that I refused to back down from. I grabbed the hose from him and turned toward the animal with authority. This wouldn’t be the first time I’d cooled down a horse, nor would it be the last. Still, I enjoyed the impressed look that crossed Dean’s face when I showed that I knew what I was doing.
“You’re a natural,” Dean said. “You’ve got this handled. I think I’ll go take my break now.”
I spun around and pointed the hose right at Dean. The water washed over his face, soaking his hair and dripping over his already wet shirt. He laughed and lunged for me, grabbing the hose from my hand and quickly turning it off.
“Not funny,” Dean said, though he was fighting back laughter as he spoke.
“On the contrary,” I said. “Very funny.”
Dean shook his hair, spraying me with water and making me giggle. I jumped away from him to avoid getting sprayed. Just then we’d been joined by someone I knew all too well.
“What’s this?” Eric Vanderwalt asked as he stepped purposefully between Dean and me.
“Hello, Eric,” I said with a sigh. “This is Dean. Dean, this Eric Vanderwalt.”
“Hey,” Dean said with a nod. Eric just eyed him with poorly masked disdain before turning his attention to me.
“Can I escort you to the dining room, Caroline?” Eric asked.
“No,” I said firmly. “I’m not here for lunch.”
“I see,” Eric said, glancing at Dean. “Well, I’m heading along the trail in a few minutes. Would you care to join me?”
“Maybe another time,” I said.
I tried to keep my voice light and polite but Eric was already wearing on my nerves. It was obvious his only reason for extending the invitation was to get me away from Dean. I knew my parents had been talking with the Vanderwalts about pairing Eric and me for the summer, but I had no interest in indulging their wish.
“You know,” Eric said, taking a step toward me. “It wouldn’t do any good if anyone sees you hanging around here, Caroline. People will talk.”
“Oh?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “And what will they say?”
“That Caroline Michaelson was seen fraternizing with the help,” Eric said boldly. Dean was standing right behind him and heard every word Eric spoke.
I felt my face flush with rage. Dean, however, stood stoically, his expression betraying nothing.
“Well, Eric,” I said firmly. “I think I can handle myself, but I appreciate your concern.”
“You deserve much more, Caroline,” Eric said loudly.
“I’m not interested,” I said, staring Eric down. “At all.”
Eric’s cheeks burned red and his eyes narrowed darkly. He considered me for a few seconds before he stepped around me.
“You’d do well to rethink that decision,” Eric said. “Otherwise, you might regret it one day.”
“I think I’ll be okay,” I said without looking at him.
“I’ll give you a few days to change your mind,” Eric said with an arrogant tone. I shook my head and listened to his receding footsteps.
When I raised my eyes to meet Dean’s calm gaze, the sight took me by surprise. I was so angry with Eric for insulting Dean that I was ready to slap him across his cocky face but Dean barely seemed to notice.
“I’m sorry about that,” I said softly.
“That guy is an insecure fuckwad. I know his type. I normally would have taught him a good lesson, but I’ve got more important things to focus my energy on,” Dean said as he looked at me with the sexiest smile. He then motioned for me to follow him inside the barn. I walked slowly behind him until we reached a small alcove behind the stables. He gestured for me to sit down while he grabbed a towel to dry himself off.
My head was still full of Eric’s harsh words. I was ashamed that I associated with people like him. I wanted to make sure Dean knew I wasn’t anything like Eric, that I was different.
“He shouldn’t have said those things,” I said. “I’m sorry he—”
“Caroline,” Dean said firmly. “People like him don’t bother me.”
“They don’t?” I asked.
“Not at all.” Dean shrugged.
I smiled. Dean was right for not losing his cool. People like Eric meant nothing. They were just insecure, arrogant assholes who didn’t deserve the time of day. Knowing Dean didn’t care what Eric thought eased my mind and soon, I was back to simply enjoying my time with him.
We sat together for a few minutes while Dean took a much-needed break. When I looked at his face, I saw bags under his eyes that looked to be days old. His eyes themselves were rimmed bright red and every few minutes, he stifled a yawn.
“So,” I said. “My parents are leaving tonight around seven and they’ll be gone the entire weekend.”
“Oh?” Dean asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “It’s my first weekend all alone, so I thought—”
“I’ll be there when I get off work,” Dean said without pause.
I grinned. “Perfect.”
We wasted a little time talking about different things. Dean told me how he heard about the job at the club and I told him about my plans for college. By the time his break ended, I knew it was time for me to get home. If Dean was going to come over later, I wanted to be prepared.
My heart was pounding at the thought of being completely alone with him. I gave him my address, and we said goodbye.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he said.
He winked and slowly walked away. I shook myself and hurried toward my car, my legs shaking with desire. When I finally made it back home, I couldn’t think of anything other than how badly I wanted Dean’s lips on mine. There was a streak in my panties that told me just how badly I wanted him.
As I took my shower that evening, I imagined how it would feel to be with Dean. I’d never been with anyone before and I could feel my nerves flare up. I decided that I should probably try and relieve some of my own tension so I wasn’t so damn nervous.
CHAPTER FIVE - DEAN
The drive to Caroline’s house was nothing short of torturous. I couldn’t get there fast enough. For almost a week, we’d been flirting and dancing around our attraction for one another. My need for her was intensifying rapidly. Every time I thought about her soft lips or her petite ass, I longed to tear her clothes from her body. I could already tell her tits were perky and full and I hadn’t yet seen them uncovered. Part of me knew tonight was the night but I didn’t want to get my hopes up in case she wanted to take it slow.
Caroline wasn’t like the other girls I’d been with. She was young, only eighteen, and inexperienced. She never said so but I could tell as much. I wanted to claim her body as my own but I also didn’t want to scare her. The more time we spent together, the more I liked her. She was so fucking hot but also incredibly intelligent and really interesting. As much as I wanted to get her naked, I also wanted to get to know her.
When I pulled up to her front gate, I felt a wave of dread wash over me. Caroline didn’t give me a code to get inside. I rolled down my window and peered out at the keypad. There, sitting on top was a folded piece of paper. My name was scribbled across the top in neat, swirling handwriting that I knew was Caroline’s. I smiled and grabbed the paper, unfolding it with enthusiasm.
“242891,” it read. “Front door is open, just come on in. ~Caroline”
I grinned to myself as I typed in the code and waited for the gate to swing open. When it did, I gunned it and flew down the driveway, eager to get inside. Throwing my truck in park, I yanked the keys out of the ignition and tucked them in my pocket. I jogged up to the front door and checked the knob. It was unlocked, just like Caroline’s note said it would be.
Good girl.
My grin was wider than ever as I let myself inside. The second my eyes fell on the elaborate entryway, all thoughts of Caroline momentarily flew from my mind. I was standing in the middle of a marble foyer with columns all around me. There were flowers and plants on ornate tables along the walls. As I moved further into the house, my mouth fell open in shock.
