Silks and Sand

by K. Rowe

  Evan stood with his mouth open. He couldn’t believe what he’d just seen. His horse had demolished the competition, winning by probably twelve lengths. “Woooohoooo!” he cheered, hopping up and down with Cindy still in his arms. “Yes! Yes!” “Yay Daddy!” Cindy cheered and gave him a big kiss.

  He looked over at Suzanne for some sort of approval. She nodded her head in a rather diplomatic fashion. “Congratulations.”

  “You wanna come to the winner’s circle?” he asked, setting Cindy down.

  “Mommy, can I go?”

  “Yes, dear, you can go.” "Yay! I brought gummies for his win.”

  Evan straightened up. “Would you like to go too?”

  Suzanne wasn’t quite sure of his invitation. She’d been in the winner’s circle so many times, but this time, it required a decision. “Oh, all right.”

  Evan led the way. Ginger was just arriving with War Monger. Tom and Tito joined them, helping to hold the horse for the winner’s photo.

  After the shot, Ginger hopped off and Tom grabbed her, giving another quick kiss. He knew she needed to get back to the weight room to weigh out from the race. Tom also hoped Suzanne saw the kiss, perhaps putting some of her suspicions to rest about Ginger and Evan.

  As the day’s racing ended, Ginger and Tom returned to the hotel. Of the nine races on the card, she’d had mounts in seven of them, and won five races handily. Evan’s horses did well with War Monger and Dusty Rose winning their races, and Clean Slate finishing second.

  Tom pushed open the door to the room. “You wanna get some dinner?” he asked.

  “No, not right now,” she replied, coming out of the bathroom from washing her hands. “I think I’d like to start with dessert.”

  Closing the distance, she put one hand on his chest, the other, caressed him much lower. Tom grunted and uttered a little laugh. Letting her hand slide around his neck, Ginger pulled him down and attacked his lips with zeal. Her other hand continued to ply him with pleasurable caresses. It didn’t take long before she felt his firm arousal stretching his jeans taut.

  Without a word, she took her lips away and started undressing. Tom needed no prompting. He quickly stripped out of his t-shirt and fought to remove his jeans. After much trouble, he stood naked in front of her. Ginger lay back on the bed, her legs hanging off. She gazed at him, seeing his rock-hard arousal begging to satisfy her. Truly, she found him to be the most handsome man she’d ever seen. And when they made love, it was as if nothing else in the world mattered.

  Taking her index finger, Ginger stuck it in her mouth. Her body yearned for him in the worst way, but she would make it wait. Spreading her legs slightly, she slid her hand down, feeling her hot, moist folds. Moving her finger around, she gasped, feeling the delicious tingles working their way through her body.

  Tom watched, he licked his lips, eager to be a part of the party. He took one step toward her.

  “Ah, ah,” she said. “You must watch.” Her finger stroked harder and faster, quickly bringing her to the heights of sexual pleasure. She could feel the wetness almost dribbling down her thighs as she gasped and cried out in climax.

  Enough was enough. Tom couldn’t stand it any longer. He grabbed her, flipped her over on her stomach, pulled her to the edge of the bed, and quickly rammed himself home. This was no time for sweet, gentle love; it was time for a serious fucking.

  Clasping his hands around her waist, he thrust with great force. Ginger laughed as he pounded against her, feeling everything he had. Her sexy little display had him worked up beyond belief. It almost seemed that’s what she wanted from him.

  He grunted lowly with every thrust, his body surrendering to the animal inside. Ginger moaned as he found the spot that would take her over the top. Her muscles tightened, responding to his rather forceful stimulation.

  Tom could barely control himself; he plunged harder and deeper into her, sinking as far as he could. The only thing stopping him from going further was her tight, muscular behind. Control had gone out the window.

  As they raced toward climax, Tom felt like he’d lost all sense of reasoning. His body seemingly belonged to the beautiful woman in front of him. His actions in life now revolved around her, and he didn’t have a problem with it.

  Now he understood how Evan felt. There had to be some way to get them back together. The delicious tension twisted wildly through Tom’s body, he knew he was close, Ginger was too. He clenched his jaw and growled, driving into her depths, giving of himself to her. She cried out, experiencing her own beautiful climax.

  Tom fought to catch his breath. He almost couldn’t believe what just transpired. It was frantic, trashy love like you saw on a porn movie, but this seemed so much better. This movie happened to be his own private one, with a woman who relished his affections. He never thought he’d be this kind of lover, but he wasn’t having issues with it. Her love aroused a primal side of him he’d never known existed, and he liked it.

  Withdrawing slowly, he gave her a playful pat on the behind. “Now are you ready for dinner?”

  She rolled over, looked up at him and laughed. “Mmm, I think you more than worked up an appetite!”

  Tom flopped on the bed next to her. “Shit, I was hungry already.”

  “How about we get dressed and go out to a restaurant?” She stood and started collecting her clothes.

  “Sure…Salad for you? Since you got weight to watch.”

  “Oh, I’m okay right now. Mmm, I wanna nice, juicy steak.”

  He chuckled. “I thought I just gave you a big piece of meat!”

  They dressed and went to a local restaurant. Tom politely held the chair as Ginger sat down. They may have just had hot, trashy sex, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t required to be a gentleman despite it.

  Once she was settled, he took his seat. Letting his eyes wander around the room, he immediately noticed Evan and Suzanne at a table. Cindy was strangely absent. Perhaps this dinner would prove to reconcile things between them. He hoped so. “Hey, look,” he whispered. “There’s Evan and Suzanne.”

  “Oh!” she whispered back. “You think they see us?”

  “Dunno, but let’s give Suzanne a clear view of our relationship.”

  Ginger giggled. “That won’t be hard to do.” Reaching out, she took his hands. “I don’t think we’ll have a problem showing them we have something going.”

  Evan took a sip of wine. He felt so nervous having Suzanne sitting across from him. One wrong move, one wrong word, and it could be all over. It took some amazing arm-twisting to get her to the restaurant in the first place. But here she was. He hoped there might be a slight chance he could win her back. “You know, when I said you looked lovely today, I really meant it.”

  “You seem to have gotten yourself back together.”

  “Uh, Tom’s been making sure I eat.”

  “Who else is taking care of you?”

  “Just me…He gave me quite a talking to and said I needed to pull my head out of my ass and run the farm correctly.”

  “The horses seem to be doing well this season.”

  “Yes, yes, they are. I didn’t think that obnoxious knucklehead of a colt would ever get a saddle and rider on him…Now he’s got three wins.”

  Suzanne picked up her glass and looked around. “Is that Tom and Ginger over there?”

  “Huh?”

  “Over there.” She gestured.

  Evan made no attempt to cover his actions; he blatantly looked toward the other table. “Yup.”

  “They seem rather cozy.”

  He ignored her comment, deciding to let her see more of what they were doing. It was doubtful they were staging this display for his benefit, but he wasn’t arguing.

  Dinner arrived and Evan dug in; he’d missed lunch because he’d been dealing with the horses. Taking a big mouthful of steak, he moaned softly. “Mmm, good steak.”

  Suzanne lifted a forkful of pasta. She kept glancing over at Tom’s table. “They seem to be quite an item,” sh
e said while noticing they were lip-locked in a rather passionate kiss.

  “From day one.”

  “What?”

  Setting his fork down, he gave her his undivided attention. “Ginger’s had the hots for Tom ever since they first met…He, uh, told me she went after him that night.”

  “She did, huh?”

  “That’s what he told me…Said she fancies his type.”

  “His type?” She regarded him with suspicion.

  “Well, uh, I guess you could say, more his stature.”

  “Short?”

  “Umm, yeah.” He picked his fork up and grabbed the steak knife. “From what he’s told me, she’s not into tall, dark, and handsome.”

  “Is this your way of telling me nothing’s gone on between you?”

  Evan shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll leave you to be the judge of that.”

  14

  War Monger ran in two more races at Turfway Park. He won them by large margins. Evan had high hopes for the colt.

  Suzanne still kept her distance, but softened her civility toward Evan. Their relationship remained unmended, and he hoped maybe it could still be salvaged.

  It was now mid-March and Stoddard Stables called Florida and Gulfstream Park their temporary home. The weather there proved to be impeccable, far better than the rotten, freezing temperatures back home. They’d shown up with a fair-sized contingent of horses, banking on some winners in stakes races.

  Tom and Evan stood at the rail watching the morning workouts. War Monger roared by, Ginger sitting quietly, letting the colt have his head. “You think he’s ready, Tom?” Evan asked.

  “For what?”

  “How about the Florida Derby?”

  “Well, with two solid graded wins at Turfway Park, I think he’s ready to move up in class…But the Florida Derby? Don’t you think that’s a little much?”

  “I’m hedging my bet. If he can’t win the Florida, I’ll send him to the Arkansas Derby.”

  “You’re aiming that colt for the Kentucky Derby, huh?”

  Evan smiled. “Yup. And I think he can do it.”

  “If he doesn’t win the Florida, he’ll only have two weeks off between Arkansas and Churchill Downs.”

  “Plenty of horses have won the Arkansas Derby and went on to the Kentucky Derby and did fine.”

  Tom shook his head. “I think you might be pushing him.”

  They continued observing horses. Ginger finished exercising War Monger and rode over to the rail. “How does he feel?” Tom asked.

  She gave the colt a pat on the neck. “He feels like he wants to run forever.”

  “Think he can handle the Florida Derby?” Evan asked.

  “Mile and an eighth? Piece of cake!”

  “Good, I’ll set up the entry.” Evan reached into his pocket and took out a pack of gummies. War Monger’s ears pricked forward. Evan poured a few out and offered them. “Here, you put in a good workout today, and I hope you’ll run well for me in a few weeks.” The horse nibbled the treats off his hand. “Go on and get cooled down.”

  “Yes, boss,” Ginger said, nudging the colt toward the barn.

  “Uh, Tom?”

  “Mmm?”

  Evan removed a small notebook. “Do you think Wanderer could handle the Skip Away?”

  “You tryin’ to load the stakes race card?”

  “Why not? It looks like we have a good batch of horses now.”

  Tom scratched his head. “He’s been working well; tendon’s holding, and the vet gave him a clean bill of health…Yes, I think he can handle it…Oh, and while you’re at it, why not put Dusty Rose in the Gulfstream Oaks?”

  “Are you joking? Or being serious?”

  “Serious…She’s a good filly, ready to move up a bit in class.”

  “Okay, okay.” He smiled broadly. “I’ll do the paperwork.”

  “I think that’s a good move for her.” Tom rested his arms on the rail. “How goes it with you and Suzanne?”

  “Better, if you could call it that.”

  “She’s still talking to you, right?”

  “Yeah, in a more civil tone, at least.”

  “I’da thought you two’d be back together by now. I mean, she never did file the divorce papers, did she?”

  Evan put his elbow on the rail, resting his chin in his hand. “No, I suppose she’s still debating if I’m telling the truth.”

  “I don’t see how she couldn’t; I mean she’s seen me and Ginger together on more than one occasion, how could she still doubt you?”

  “Lord knows with that woman… Sometimes I can’t stand her, but when she’s not with me, I go insane…I need her in my life.”

  Tom gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You’ll get her back.”

  It was Friday, the day before the big stakes weekend at Gulfstream. Evan found himself walking Wanderer around while Tom, Tito, and Manuel tended to Dusty Rose. Her race was tomorrow, and she seemed to be feeling the pressure. The vet arrived and gave her a thorough checkup. Evan hoped she’d be all right.

  As he walked the big gray gelding, his cell phone rang. Juggling with the lead rope, he took it out and answered. “Hello?”

  “It’s Suzanne.”

  “Uh, hi…What’s up?”

  “I’m flying into Miami International in four hours, can you pick me up?”

  “Umm, uh, err, uh, yeah, I can…Is Cindy coming?”

  “No, she’s staying with my mother, since she’s in school.”

  “Oh, okay…I’ll be there to pick you up.” He ended the call; his heart started to pound. Could this be the reconciliation he’d been dreaming of? Or was Suzanne finally going to drop the divorce paper bomb on him? He prayed for it to be the first option.

  Two more laps around the barn and Evan saw Tom coming toward him. “How is Dusty?”

  Tom took the lead rope and continued walking with Wanderer. “She’ll be okay…Tito’s out walking her; she had a bit of gas colic.”

  “Hopefully she’ll be healthy for tomorrow.” Evan took a pack of gummies from his pocket and munched on a few. He’d save the rest for when he saw War Monger.

  “We’ll keep a close eye on her tonight.”

  “Good, good…oh, uh, Suzanne called.”

  “What’d she want?”

  Evan popped another gummy in his mouth. “She’s flying in and wants me to pick her up.”

  “She’s coming here?”

  “Yeah, called me out of the blue. I guess she wants to talk to me.

  “Oh, maybe this is a good thing.”

  “Maybe she’s finally gonna divorce me,” he replied softly.

  “Come on, Ev, don’t let it get you down. You got three really good horses going to post in the next two days; Suzanne can’t rain on your parade.”

  “I’m trying to think positive.”

  Tom returned Wanderer to his stall.

  Evan went over to War Monger. “Hey, pal.” He took out the bag, pouring some treats into his hand. “You gotta win for me Sunday…If you do that, I’ll give you all the gummies you want.”

  The horse craned his neck, trying to get to Evan’s hand. He smiled, offering the candy. War Monger worked his lips, getting his treats. “If you win, you’ll be going to the Derby—the big time for you… Please, make me proud.”

  Evan waited nervously for Suzanne to come from the security checkpoint. All afternoon he’d prayed that she wanted to reconcile. He wasn’t sure he could handle it if she decided on divorce. Family played a big part in his success and he needed his family to keep him motivated. Without Suzanne, he felt as if he was sinking below water, and no one was there to throw him a life preserver.

  “Hello, Suzanne,” Evan said cheerfully as she stopped in front of him. He wanted so badly to give her a kiss, but had to refrain from doing so.

  “Hi,” she replied, looking him over. “You look well.”

  “Tom’s been a good babysitter.”

  “Good, good…I need to get my bag.”
>
  “Oh, right.” He scanned the area for the baggage claim area. “That way.” Evan hated the awkward uneasiness in which their marriage had fallen. He felt like they were two complete strangers meeting for the first time, not a couple married close to a decade, which shared a deep, passionate love together. It felt so foreign, so wrong. He wanted badly to rectify the situation.

  Upon reaching baggage claim, Suzanne spied her bag on the carousel. Just as she stepped forward to grab it, Evan snatched it up. “Still a gentleman, I see.” She withdrew her hand.

  “Some things I will never grow complacent with.” Pulling up the handle, he led her out to the parking lot. Before putting the bag in the trunk, he opened the passenger side door for her. Suzanne took her seat. Evan put the bag in the trunk and hurried around to the driver’s seat. “I booked you a room in the same hotel; few doors down from ours.”

  “Ours?”

  “Oh, well, Ginger and Tom have a room across from mine, Tito and Manuel have one next to them.”

  “Your jockey and trainer are sharing a room?”

  “Yes, and Tom’s been hinting to me that he wants to pop the question.”

  “Really?”

  “Not sure when he’ll do it, but I know he’s been out shopping for a ring.” He started the car and drove to the hotel.

  Picking up the key at the front desk, Evan showed her to the room. “Uh, my room’s just there, number four-ten.”

  “Uh, yes, thank you.” She opened the door. Evan took her suitcase and put it on the luggage rack. Without a word, he left.

  Going back to his room, he realized a discomfort in his trousers. He wanted so badly to have her in his arms, to make love with her. The more he thought about it, the worse his discomfort grew, to the point where he needed release.

  Taking off his suit coat, tie, and shirt, he went to the bathroom and grabbed several tissues. Evan couldn’t remember the last time he had to get off by himself. All the months of Suzanne’s absence put his sex drive into hibernation. But now, he felt alive again. He didn’t know if she was here to reconcile or quit, and right now it didn’t matter.