by K. M. Hill
Since it was Tuesday, they would only be doing a light hack on each of the horses. With Mondays off, the horses didn’t need a hard start at the beginning of the week. They moved through their rides with efficiency. In between, they chatted but mostly focused on getting the horses done. Each was caught up in their own world as they rode.
The solitude that came with working your horse was like nothing else. It was easy to lose yourself. Sabrina knew that many people rode with headphones and music to instill a beat to the work but also to block out the world. She never found the need. She sat in the saddle and unless she was having a lesson or at a show, she was lost in her own head with her horse.
Many didn’t understand the world of show jumping. To be successful, you need to have incredible physical discipline. Muscles not used anywhere else are needed to be in top form and those muscles could only be developed through riding. It was physically demanding, putting a ton of stress on joints, the back, shoulders and other major parts of the body.
But the real place that was challenged was the mind. People who rode well knew that 90% of the work in riding was mental. It took deep concentration to feel where your horse was and to determine if it was on track. You needed to have a plan for what you wanted to work on in a given time. Then you needed the extreme patience to practice over and over again until you and the horse mastered it.
That was all presuming the horse was having a good day. Or the weather didn’t interfere and make them wild. Or they were feeling good and sound or that they actually felt like listening that day.
She would laugh when she heard people talk about how difficult golf was or some other equivalent. She knew that each sport had its challenges and athletes at the top level required incredible physical and mental commitment. But she also knew her world of show jumping had a completely different dynamic that was different than any other sports which was the horse. And the danger…
It also took lots of grit to be successful at this level. She had read a statistic that riding a horse was twenty times more dangerous than riding a motorcycle. It was the sport that claimed the most number of injuries and the most number of deaths. Riders didn’t focus on this because once you did and started to change your ride, that’s when you got hurt.
The other way it was different was the constant level of engagement required. Horses didn’t take days off from eating. They couldn’t take themselves out to be exercised. Taking several days off resulted in almost immediate break down of muscle. She always suggested to people who complained about riding when it was inconvenient or when they didn’t want to, that perhaps they should get a tennis racket or basketball instead of a horse. She had to be careful where she said this because the sport itself turned many people off because of the price tag associated with it. The elite nature of the sport didn’t need her comments driving home the points she knew.
But all of those things were why she loved it. It demanded things from her mentally in a way that was different from work. She was hardly ever stressed when she rode. She had times in which she was frustrated because the horse was too high or because she couldn’t accomplish something to the level of perfection she wanted. But those were rare times. Most times it involved getting lost in her mind, working through things she hadn’t been able to process other places or even thinking about nothing.
The other things she loved about it were the competitions. She was incredibly competitive and this sport provided a number of opportunities to challenge herself and match her skills and efforts against big time professionals.
Zach had finished with the horse he was on and was walking around the ring watching her. He knew she was completely absorbed in what she was doing and would be surprised if she was aware that he was even still in the ring with her. He marveled at her ability to have such a singular focus, but he supposed he was the same way.
It was rare that he found someone to share his love of riding and show jumping. It was still more rare to find someone who was as competent as she was. For the little she rode, she was damn good. He laughed to himself…as if she would allow it to be any other way. Mediocrity was not in her realm.
She was beautiful to watch. The horse she was on currently, Indy, moved with such grace and concerted effort with her that it seemed as if they were one. She was breathtaking! He thought back through the day since lunch. He was glad he’d addressed things with her head on. She was so strong-minded but also a bit insecure he thought, interestingly enough. On top of it, she had developed some habits with Troy that just wouldn’t work for him.
Well, they certainly ironed things out after lunch, didn’t they, he thought with a chuckle. At the thought of the blowjob she gave him in the car, he was hard almost immediately. His cock pressed into his saddle. Could they do it in a saddle, he wondered? Maybe they would have to find out. Maybe they should practice on the saddle rack first, he laughed again. Ok, time to get these thoughts under control!
Chapter 28
They stopped at the market on the way to her house and got some steaks and vegetables for dinner. It was a great night to grill and Sabrina was looking forward to finishing this surprisingly delightful day. It wasn’t the day she had planned when she woke up, but it beat that by tenfold!
She marveled in Zach’s ability to stay centered. She knew this was probably a big element of what made him a top grand prix rider and one of the best riders in the world. He was patient and exercised extreme commitment to getting results. It did not mean he was a pushover, as she was reminded of that today during their lunch conversation. But he was certainly reasonable.
He was so different from anyone she had been with previously in so many ways. She had never shared her riding with a man. She had never really had a relationship of equals in terms of strength of character. She never had sex that good. She clenched her teeth as she chopped vegetables to put on the grill. Zach was busy preparing the steaks. She had a great view of his tight ass. Man, that riding did great things to his backside. Time to focus on something else or no one would be having dinner…
“Zach, what made you get into riding?” she asked.
“Actually, my sister rode. I got dragged to the barn every day for her lessons. I got a very late start. One day her trainer told me to get on a pony that was tacked up. That trainer was made of iron. He was the definition of tough. I got dumped a bunch of times before I caught on. My father invested in a bunch of high-end horses and had a professional rider showing them. He pissed my dad off so he fired him. He turned around and said ‘get on, you’re my new rider’.
“I remember one really big, prestigious venue where I had eight horses in the big classes. I fell off every one of them and on only three of them did I make it past the fourth jump,” he said a bit chagrinned.
“Oh Zach!” She said trying not to laugh.
“You can laugh now,” he said. “I didn’t think it was so funny at the time. I was a teenager and super competitive and hated to lose. My father took full advantage of that and poked me with comments. He would also casually mention some of my peers who had recently won things. He was a force, that guy. I loved him dearly and hated him with all of me at other times. In the end, he did me a service. He made me tough, focused and committed.”
“Why do you ride, Zach?”
“Hmm. That’s an interesting question. I ride because I love the exhilaration of getting a horse over a really big jump. I like that it is complex, but the best way to get good results is through simplicity and consistency. I like that each horse is as unique as we are so it makes me work to figure out what’s in their head… and their heart. I love to win and with discipline, hard work and good horse stock, I can do that. I also like that I am in control of much of that. There’s also a connection with the horses that I don’t find in any other part of my life. The closest thing I have felt to that is you,” he admitted.
She stopped cutting and looked up. She saw the sincerity in his eyes. She knew exactly what he was saying. The horse connection was uniqu
e and special and touched your soul. It was as essential as breathing for some. She was feeling that for him but fighting it. It was a little surprising to come from him.
She smiled at him knowingly.
“I also like the power. Being able to exert myself and get an animal to do my bidding but also be himself or herself so I benefit, that’s heady stuff. That’s how I feel with you when we have sex…”
“Zach!” she exclaimed.
He laughed a big hearty laugh.
“Watch it or you will not be getting any more sex data to re-write in your head as you are apparently doing!” she warned.
“Why do you ride, Brine?”
She smiled at his nickname for her.
“Many of the same reasons. Also, because I’ve been lonely a lot of my life. I’ve found myself during most of my life different from my peers. Not to be self-promoting, but I haven’t found many who are as smart as I am, want to work as hard as I do, try to be positive and resilient like I am. All that sounds so full of myself. That’s not my intent. But I’ve found that most people can’t keep up, so they push me aside or put me on a pedestal. I don’t want to be there. I just wanted friends most of my life.”
“So the horses gave me a haven. It’s an individual sport, but there are deep and lasting relationships with your partners. And, given the right stabling situation, you can sometimes find some friends. I was lucky to find Michelle and Lacey. They are equal or better in so many ways and they aren’t afraid to kick my ass on things. I’m lucky to have them,” she said with genuine affection for her friends.
“They are lucky to have you… but I’m biased. I’m going to go put these steaks on the grill. Are those vegetables ready to go?”
Chapter 29
They took the dogs for a walk by the marina when they finished dinner. It was a lovely night and the dogs were thrilled to be out strutting. Everyone stopped to pet them. Even though they were so big, their dispositions were so sweet. They obeyed Zach’s commands and she continued to be amazed and totally annoyed.
“It’s incredibly annoying that they listen to you so well after just a short time because they do NOT listen to me,” she spat out.
“That’s because they think you’re Ariel,” he said with a smile.
“What?”
“You know, from the Little Mermaid? You do realize you named your dogs based on the characters in that movie?” he asked.
She stopped in her tracks. She had never put that together. It wasn’t a conscious decision but she saw it for what it was.
She laughed, “and they think I am Ariel?”
“Yes. And who bosses Ariel around? Sebastian and Triton!” he said knowingly.
“Seriously, Zach? Aren’t you stretching things?”
“No. Look at how you interact with them. They come barreling through and plow you over and while you admonish them, it’s fake. You don’t really stand up to them. You don’t put your foot down. Because you think you can’t for some reason. You hand your power over them to them,” he explained.
She thought about what he was saying for a minute.
“That’s foolish. I just love them so much that I don’t want to be harsh,“ she said shrugging off his idea.
“Do you love them plowing you down?” he asked.
“No.”
“Have you seen me be harsh?” he inquired.
“No.”
“So your push back is invalid,” he said with finality.
Oh he was infuriating!
“So, that must make you Ursula, the evil sea witch” she said and took off at a sprint with Sebastian. Zach caught up with her and tackled her, but made it so she landed on him about fifty yards down the beach. She squealed with delight!
“The only little witch here is you,” as he then kissed her completely. The dogs were jumping up and down from the excitement and barking. She was breathless.
“Zach. You are crazy,” she said with a breezy laugh.
“Yes, I am. Crazy about you!” He gave her another kiss full on her lips and then got to his feet and pulled her up.
They strolled back to the house and got the dogs settled and closed up the house. Zach made it a point to look at her as he locked the front door before they headed upstairs.
“Oh, be quiet. I lock the door,” she said
“Sure you do… “ He replied as he pinched the ass in front of him walking up the stairs making her squeal.
Chapter 30
As they got ready for bed, they discussed the rest of the week and what was planned.
“I have a charity ball for my Foundation I need to attend on Saturday. I would like you to go with me,” he said with a question in his voice.
She thought about this for a minute. She loved the work he was doing with his Foundation, but he was known as a very big playboy at charity events. It was widely known that he never went to two events in a row with the same woman. That disgusted her a bit. She also didn’t want to be considered one of those women.
He didn’t hear from her for a minute. She was in the bathroom, but they had been having a conversation before he’d asked this question.
“Sabrina, did you hear me?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied.
Hmmm… that wasn’t good. Something was up.
“And what did you think about what I asked you?” he probed.
She didn’t want to offend him but at the same time, she wasn’t sure she wanted to go.
“Sabrina?” he called to her.
She came walking out of the bathroom with her hair in a ponytail. She looked adorable. Every look on her seared him.
“Come here, babe. What’s up? Is there something wrong with going to the Gala?” he probed.
She saw that he was genuinely interested to know what was going on.
“Well, I don’t want to offend you and I don’t want to create an issue. We had such a perfect day.”
“But…” he said knowingly.
“But, I’m concerned that if I go with you, I’m going to be considered a flavor of the week. You, my dear playboy, have a reputation to uphold,” she admitted.
He regarded her for a moment.
“First, it is not a reputation I want to uphold. Second, isn’t it better that I didn’t take anyone seriously before now because they weren’t right? Let’s break the streak. I will be taking you to many functions in a row. Or are you afraid that I won’t?”
She was afraid, she realized. She was afraid because she deeply cared about him. She was putting herself out more emotionally in the brief time they had been together than in all the time she had been with Troy. It would be very hard on her if this didn’t continue. She was afraid. And she certainly didn’t want it carrying out on a public stage.
“Brine. I keep telling you, you are it for me. You don’t believe me. If I were not afraid that you would head for the hills, I would share with you my secret that I am in love with you. I’m not going to share that yet because you aren’t ready, but know I have a secret. But I want you to be with me everywhere and I want the world to know you are with me and are mine.”
His smile met his eyes.
He loved her. She wanted to laugh at his not-so secret ‘secret’. Totally Zach. But his admission and confession of the heart served its purpose. It took a little of the worry out of going.
“I’m ignoring the first part of what you just said, but in terms of wanting people to know I am with you… then yes, I will go with you,” she agreed.
He leaped out of bed and scooped her up and threw her on the bed. He was on her in a flash. She was laughing so hard at the sudden attack that she could barely choke out the words.
“I know you are pathetic and in need of a date but a simple thank you would do,” she said still laughing.
“Pathetic, huh. I’ll show you pathetic. What’s pathetic is your weak efforts to resist me…but still, you can be squirrely, so I am not taking any chances tonight,” he said with authority.
She laugh
ed at his absurdity. He grabbed the belt from her robe and quick as can be had her hands tied to the headboard.
He looked into her eyes to see if she was ok with this and only saw lust exploding.
“I’ll be right back,” and he was off.
Chapter 31
He took the stairs two at a time and hurried into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator door and found what he was looking for and flew back up stairs.
“Zach, what are you doing?” she asked unsure.
