Breaking the Reins

by Juliana Haygert

  “And why is that?”

  He leaned closer, and I held my breath. “Because, after last night and all the other events, I’m afraid of looking like I’m coming on too strong and scaring you away. You have no idea how frustrating it was to wake up at 7 a.m. and try to convince myself not to come here right away. So, I did things I thought you would like to busy my mind. I visited Jimmy and Argus, and then stopped by Starbucks because I know you love coffee.”

  New tears brimmed in my eyes. “You’re so good to me.”

  He used his thumb to brush my tears away. “No, morena, you’re so good to me.” I fisted his shirt and pulled him closer, glad that he didn’t resist it. “I was so afraid you would push me away.”

  I was afraid of that too. The entire morning, I wondered what would happen to us. I wondered if he would call me, but then I remembered my phone had been smashed to pieces. I wondered if I should go to him. And say what? For some reason, since last night, my insecurity was on high alert. I had been trying to come around it, and plant in my mind the idea of going to his house after I visited my father and Argus, hoping that, by the end of the day, I wasn’t feeling so unworthy.

  But here he was, coming to me with a sweet brunch I would eat in spite of feeling full, just because he had brought it to me. Just because he showed me he cared.

  I stared into his eyes. “I think we established the status of … us in my car yesterday afternoon.”

  He flicked his gaze to my lips, then back to my eyes. “Is there a 'we'?”

  I leaned in his direction, just a tiny bit. “I don’t know. You tell me.”

  On purpose, I licked my lower lip, enjoying when his eyes followed the movement.

  He took a deep breath. “Yes, there’s definitely a 'we,'” he whispered, using his hand on my face to bring me closer.

  His lips brushed against mine, and I let out something like a half-sigh, half-moan. He groaned, taking my mouth on his. His tongue dipped deep and made me moan again. With one of my hands still clutching his shirt, I pulled him closer, as close as we could be while seated on these chairs. Crawling on his lap did cross my mind, but I didn’t think my mother would appreciate that.

  His hand slid up my thigh, sending all thoughts of my mom away. Heat spread through me as he deepened the kiss, moving his lips like it was a sensual dance.

  The sound of heels clicking on the hardwood floor broke us apart, though I held his hand on my thigh, desperate to remain in contact with him.

  My mother entered the dining room seconds later. “Hannah, I’ve talked to your father. He said he’ll forgive you for skipping lunch if you promise to come later. He wants to see you himself and make sure you’re okay.” Her gaze shifted to Leo. “And you’re welcome to come too, Leonardo.”

  I smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Taylor.”

  “I do have a name, you know,” Mom said.

  “Ah—” Leo opened his mouth and glanced at me with wide eyes.

  “It’s Joyce,” I whispered, laughing.

  “Yes, thank you Mrs. Tay—Joyce.”

  She nodded, with a grin. “Better.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Hannah, where did you get that flower?”

  Heat crept on my cheeks. “Leo brought it to me.”

  “It’s beautiful,” she said, smiling. She checked her cell phone. “All right. Hilary and I are off. We’ll see you two later.”

  “Bye,” Leo and I said as she walked out.

  Turning back to Leo, I touched the flower around my ear. “I never told you this. I know it’s a common flower around here, but this is my favorite flower.”

  He smiled. “If you had told me that sooner, I would have given you one every single time I saw you.”

  Not wasting time, I snaked my arm around his neck and pulled him to me. “Hmm, where were we?” I asked, my mouth against his. He parted his lips to kiss me, but I pulled away. “Come on,” I said, taking his hand in mine and standing up.

  “Where are we going?” he asked, but I didn’t answer.

  I pulled him with me as I rushed to the foyer and up the stairs; paused at the top and looked out to the driveway through the window, just in time to see Mom's car leaving the property; and walked down the corridor on the second floor and into a heavy white door.

  “Whoa.” Leo whistled, whirling around.

  I let my eyes survey my bedroom too.

  Three of the walls were dark beige, while the fourth was a dark brown. And it was against that wall that my queen size bed stood. The headboard was painted the same color as the wall, and the frame had carvings all over it. Horses. Above the bed, a huge picture of Hercules and me adorned the wall, offsetting the brown with its bronze frame. I was turned to him, laughing, his black muzzle buried in my chest. For the past few months, it had hurt to come in here and look at the picture, but I never had the courage to take it down. Now, I wanted a similar picture by its side. Same size, same frame, but with Argus.

  “You like it?” I asked.

  “Wow, your bedroom is awesome.” He ran his fingers over the dresser, which had the same carvings as the bed. “Has it always been like this?”

  “Oh no.” I chuckled. “Until I was eight years old or so, it was pink and had plenty of princesses and ballerinas everywhere.”

  He paused before a tall shelf between the two floor-to-ceiling windows. “All of these are yours?”

  I walked up to him, but halted a foot behind, my eyes on the trophies and medals decorating every inch of the shelves. “Yes.”

  He read the labels on the trophies, probably checking out the name of the jumping competitions. “You’re good!”

  “Was,” I corrected him. I took the flower from around my ear and placed it on my nightstand.

  Leo whirled to me. “I bet you still are.”

  I shrugged. “That doesn’t matter now. I don’t want to go back to it. Really.” I sighed. “I just want to go back to the ranch and take care of it. Soon my classes will start again, so that will keep me busy too.”

  “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

  I stepped into him and lifted my chin to face him. “I know what I want right now,” I whispered, sliding my hands under his shirt.

  With his eyes fixed on mine, Leo let out a loud sigh. “We don’t have to do this today, you know that, right?”

  “I know, but I want to.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I placed a soft peck under his jaw, and he shivered. I smiled. “You don’t sound like you want it.”

  He groaned. “Meu Deus, I want it. I want you. But I need to be sure you are sure, morena, because, if you say yes now and we start, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop it.” He ran his hand over my arms. “I know I’ll be instantly addicted to you.”

  I stood on tiptoes and licked his lower lip. He closed his eyes and inhaled.

  “Just the way I want you to be,” I whispered. “Now, Leonardo, show me how much you want me.”

  Immediately, his mouth claimed mine, and he walked me back, until my legs hit my bed. Without breaking the kiss, I sat down and he knelt before me, his hands sliding up my legs. I tugged on his shirt, and we stopped kissing only long enough for me to pull it over his head. Then his lips were on mine again, and his hands resumed their perusing. I did some perusing of my own, fingering and running my nails over his biceps and triceps and shoulders, amazed at how ripped and perfect he was.

  I expected him to reach for my shorts, but he kept moving his hands up until they were under my tee, his fingers splayed against my stomach.

  “I love feeling your skin,” he whispered, trailing kisses down my neck, sending ripples of pleasure through my body. Then he pulled my tee over my head. His eyes shone as he examined me. I felt my cheeks heating, but I wasn’t sure it was from embarrassment.

  Without taking his eyes from mine, Leo pushed me back on the bed by the shoulders, and pulled my shorts off. Next, his jeans slid to the floor, and I couldn’t help but stare at the bulge ins
ide his black boxers. Oh my God …

  He crawled over me and kept his body above mine, just one or two inches, but close enough for me to feel the heat from his body and ache for it, for touching him, for feeling him.

  “Perfeita,” he whispered, lowering his face to mine and brushing a soft kiss over my lips. “So beautiful.” He made to tease me again, but I couldn’t take it anymore. I reached up, wrapping my legs around his waist and placing a hand behind his neck, and pulled him to me. I gasped when his weight pressed me down, and I felt his hardness against my pelvis. The heat of his skin burned me, and I moaned, feeling that heat growing within me.

  “I need you,” I whispered in his ear. Leo groaned, his face buried into my neck. He nipped at my skin, thrusting his hips against mine. I gasped. “Oh, God, please.”

  I reached down and slipped my hands under his boxers, with intentions of taking it off, but he moved, trailing kisses from my neck to my chest. He cupped one of my breasts and flicked his tongue on the hard nub. I cried, arching against his touch.

  His other hand slid lower and into my panties.

  He raised his eyes to me and held my gaze while he flickered his tongue over my nipple again, and rubbed his fingers around my entrance. I squirmed, not because I didn’t want it, but because it was too much, and I felt like I would fall into pieces at any second.

  He closed his mouth over my breast and sucked hard, just as his finger slipped inside me. I cried, arching to his touch and knotting my hands into his hair.

  Leo kept on teasing my breast with his tongue as he slipped a second finger inside me. I moved my hips to meet this touch, the pressure increasing, the heat building.

  He sucked on my breast harder and pushed his fingers deeper, making me delirious.

  A second later, the world around me exploded. “Leo!” I cried, trembling against him.

  With a naughty smile, Leo repositioned himself, bringing his face to mine again. “Deus, morena, that was so hot, and you’re so freaking hot.”

  “That was hot,” I said, out of breath.

  He kissed me. Deeply. Hungrily. Lovingly. For a moment, I was lost in the seductive world of his lips, but I wanted more of him. I needed more of him.

  I pushed him up, breaking the kiss. He arched a brow at me, but I just smiled. I flipped him to my side, pressing him to lie on his back. I grabbed a condom from the nightstand, and worked my panties and his boxers off. With the foil package between my teeth, I straddled him, but kept my hips high enough so that we weren’t touching yet. He groaned, closing his hands on my waist and pulling me down. I swatted his hand away, before closing mine around his shaft.

  His head rolled back and he groaned. “You’re gonna kill me, morena.”

  “If it’s in pleasure, I’m glad to oblige,” I said, running my hand up and down his length.

  Leo clutched the sheets beside him as I continued to stroke him. His breathing went up several notches, and his face contorted in pleasure. It satisfied me to no end.

  “Morena, I can’t … no … please,” he muttered.

  Understanding the message, I stopped caressing him, and ripped the foil package. He reached for the condom, but I shook my head. I bit my lip as I rolled the condom over him.

  Leo groaned. “Deus do céu, that’s so fucking hot.”

  “Oh yeah. Let’s see what you think about this.”

  I lowered myself to him slowly. His hands clutched my hips as I slid down. He moved his hips. “Shhh,” I said, teasing. “This is my game.”

  “Meu Deus.”

  Surprising him, I lowered myself hard on the rest of his length, and he moaned. I moaned too, amazed of how well he fit me, how deep he went, how hard he was.

  I rocked up and down, enjoying the view of his rippled chest. I traced my nails over his six pack, and then over his pecs, playing with his nipples. Staring into my eyes, Leo held my wrists there, my palms over his chest. I could feel the rapid thump-thump of his heart. He began moving his hips, matching my strokes beat by beat. Slowly, he pulled me closer, and in a silent consent, we moved faster. He slid his arms from my wrists to my elbows, then to my back, holding me close and filling me up. The heat was increasing; the pressure was building.

  “Oh, God, Leo …” I whispered. “I’m ……”

  Without warning, he flipped us. He carefully settled my head on my pillow, propped himself with his hand, and began pumping into me, deeper, faster.

  “Like that?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Oh yeah,” I whispered.

  I felt him tensing, and suddenly his thrusts became even more rapid and deep.

  My eyes rolled inside my head, and I screamed as I climaxed. One stroke later, Leo joined me. He buried his face in my neck as his body thrashed against mine.

  After a couple of seconds, he rolled to his sides, still breathing hard, and pulled me to him. I rested my head on his shoulder, and he caressed my back with his fingertips.

  I gently placed my hand over the bandage on his side. “Didn’t this hurt?”

  “I felt it a few times, but nothing that would make me stop.” He kissed my forehead. “By the way, that was—”

  “Amazing,” I finished for him.

  “Hell, yeah, totally amazing.” Leo put his hand under my chin and turned my face to his. “It’s official. I’m addicted.” He gave me a quick peck before staring into my eyes. “I love you, Hannah.”

  “I l—”

  “No,” he interrupted. “Please, don’t say it if you don’t mean it. I don’t mind not hearing it back. For now.” He smiled.

  I propped myself on my elbow and scooted closer to him, my face directly above his. “I want to say it because I mean it. I love you, Leonardo.”

  His hand found my neck and he pulled me to him, his mouth capturing mine. I melted into him, and without really thinking about it, moved over him.

  He sucked on my lower lip. “Deus, I confess I enjoyed hearing that more than I thought I would.”

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  He kissed me again; his lips melded perfectly into mine. Then, he groaned and pulled away. “I hate to do this, but I don’t want your mother to dislike me on the first day we’re officially together. We should get ready and go.”

  “Hmm, you’re right,” I muttered, leaning down to kiss him again.

  He surrendered instantly. His hands traveled down my back, and I wiggled against his hips.

  He half-groaned, half-laughed, breaking the kiss. “You’re sneaky.”

  “Hmm, perhaps.” I smiled at him.

  He shook his head and scooted from under me. “Morena, I love you, and for that it would be really bad if your mother hated me.”

  I sighed. “Okay, but one condition.” I sat up on the bed. “We repeat this tonight.”

  With a smile and a naughty gleam in his eye, Leo embraced me, pulling me to him. “Oh, morena, we’re not going to repeat it.” He gave me a quick peck and moved his lips over my ear. “We’re going to do better.”

  I shivered. “I can’t wait.”

  Eight Months Later

  The wind whipped my hair and I smiled.

  It was a beautiful spring morning, still chilly, but radiant.

  I leaned forward and brushed my hand over Argus’s neck. He nickered, but kept on galloping through the field, the muscles of his powerful body contracting and expanding with each move.

  It had taken him three surgeries and about four months to recover from the shot, but after that, he progressed almost daily. His jumpy and scared self was left behind, and he became this beautiful, strong stallion I always knew he could be. He was also a fast runner. I had gotten many offers on him, but I refused them all. He was my horse … my friend. There wasn’t any money in the world that could take him from me.

  I pulled on the reins and directed him back to the stable.

  He neighed in protest, and I laughed.

  “It’s time, boy. I have a bunch of stuff to do,” I said.

  We approached the arena, b
ut he didn’t slow down and stop so I could open the gate.

  Instead, he sped up.

  “Argus …” I muttered, knowing exact what he wanted to do. I pulled the reins tighter and pressed my legs to his sides, preparing myself.

  Making me chuckle, he accelerated even more, as if that were possible. The fence was closer and closer. I leaned forward and, two seconds later, he jumped over it.

  We soared into the air, and I inhaled deeply, loving the two-second flight.

  His hooves hit the ground inside the arena, and I laughed. He was just … amazing.

  Argus slowed to a trot and brought us to the stable, just as another amazing someone stepped out of the stable, wearing low-riding jeans. And nothing else.

  My goodness.

  I jumped off Argus, and turned to Leo. With a will of its own, my gaze ran over him, taking in his perfect form inch by inch, especially his rippled chest and his gorgeous face.

  “That was an incredible jump,” he said, running his hand over his disheveled hair. I loved that look on him.

  “It was.” I bit my lip. “Bom dia.”

  “Bom dia.” He smiled, reaching his hands to me. “I love it when you speak Portuguese.”

  I stepped into his embrace and placed a soft kiss under his jaw. He sighed. “When I try speaking Portuguese. Try being the important word here.”

  Since he basically moved to the ranch with me about five months ago, he had been teaching me words and expressions in Portuguese. It was confusing, and most of the time I only ended up twisting my tongue, but I loved it.

  I ran my hand over his naked chest, remembering what we had done last night, and every night for that matter. I slid my hand lower, and he groaned.

  “Morena …”

  “What?” I nipped the soft spot under his ear. “You come out of bed with no shirt, and it’s not even that hot out here. It’s all your fault.”

  His hand splayed on my back, and he teased me with his hot breath over my neck. “And what are you doing out of bed so early?”

  “Well, I had to hide the Easter eggs, but I was done faster than I thought I would be, so I decided to take Argus out for a stroll.”