Silks and Sand

by K. Rowe

  Evan unbuckled his belt, unzipped his trousers and pulled them down along with his underwear.

  “Shit, gotta waste a perfectly good hard-on,” he grumbled, lying back on the bed. Closing his eyes, he longed to be coursing into Suzanne’s depths, feeling her heat against his body, tasting her in many different ways. The lovely, delicate scent of her perfume, the spicy musky smell of her sweat, he wanted it all right now.

  Slowly, he moved his hand up and down his length. It felt good, but not as good as it could feel. He tried to visualize being with her, moving even faster in time with his imagination. How he loved to take her from behind when they showered, or the time they did it in the hayloft, unbeknownst to the rest of the men working below in the stalls.

  He smiled slightly, remembering all the good times they had. There had to be more good times, there just had to be.

  Taking a more firm grasp, he worked harder. A delicious, yet empty tension built in his body. It was a tension he wanted to share with her; he always shared it with her. Evan prided himself in being able to satisfy his wife completely. But she was a few doors away, not in his arms now.

  With more determination, he pushed himself toward climax. There held no feeling in it, and as he drew closer, his body seemed to stall. He growled, stroking harder, almost to the point of being rough. His arousal neared the point of pain, and yet he could not come.

  Harder, harder, he willed his body to obey his orders; his hand becoming a rude force in his release. “Fuck,” he said, fighting to get some comfort back in his loins.

  His body hinged on the edge of completion. It became a torturous pain he wished to relieve himself of. “Suzanne, Suzanne, why do you do this to me?” His arm was tiring. “I want you back in my life; I wanna make crazy, passionate love to you. I want you forever.”

  A few strokes more and his body finally surrendered. “Arrhhhh!” Evan cried out, partly in pain, partly in relief.

  Opening his eyes, he looked at the mess he’d made all over his abdomen and chest. Grabbing the tissues, he cleaned up.

  He sat up and decided he’d take a shower. Kicking off his shoes, he finished undressing. Going into the bathroom, he turned on the shower.

  When the water was nice and comfortable, he climbed in and bathed. He still felt bothered by Suzanne, her image kept popping into his mind. If she would give him the chance, he’d show her just how much he loved and missed her. She meant everything to him.

  Evan turned off the shower, got out, drying off. He wrapped the towel around his waist while he went to find clean clothes to put on. There was knocking on the door. He opened it, surprised to find Suzanne standing in front of him. His passion stirred again, and he could feel another hard-on coming. It didn’t matter if she saw; he kind of hoped she’d take notice. “Yes?” he said politely.

  She didn’t say anything at first. In truth, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. Evan looked fantastic wearing only a towel. Suzanne longed to yank the towel off and have him make wonderful, frantic love to her. She’d missed him terribly too.

  “Do you wanna get dinner?” Suzanne asked, glancing down and noticing his rather prevalent arousal. How she wanted him to be buried in her depths, pleasing her like no other man could.

  “Uh, sure, that would be nice…Shall I meet you down at the restaurant?”

  “Yes, that’ll be fine,” she replied, not wanting to leave his sight.

  “I’ll see you shortly then.” He closed the door slowly, hoping she’d barge in and want him to love her. No such luck. Evan refused to give up hope. There could always be an after-dinner romp under the covers. He prayed it would happen.

  15

  Evan opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Last night did quite a bit to bring him and Suzanne back together. To his dismay, the evening ended with them going to separate rooms. He hoped it wouldn’t be for much longer. The desire to hold her in his arms again was overpowering.

  Today, three of his horses would go to post: Dusty Rose in a graded stakes race, Clean Slate in a sprint, and Chasearoundtheclock in a seven-furlong race.

  He’d invite Suzanne along for the day. Quite often an exhilarating day at the races would put her in the mood for love. Evan felt confident he’d be in the winner’s circle at least once today. He hoped that would be enough.

  After a shower, shave, and putting on a particularly nice suit, he went to the restaurant for breakfast. The rest of his team left hours ago to prepare the horses for the day.

  Getting to sleep in was a nice perk of ownership; although, in most cases, Evan found himself at the barn or track not long after the grooms. He liked being a part of what was going on, taking time to find out about his horses so he could make good decisions when it came time to book them for a race. And he relied on Tom to fill in the blanks with his training notes.

  “Good morning, Evan,” Suzanne said as she invited herself to his table.

  “Oh, good morning,” he replied, trying desperately to be charming. “I didn’t expect to see you up this early.”

  “Oh, I normally get up early so I can get Cindy off to school.”

  “Ah, yes.” He looked at the menu, decided what he wanted, and handed it over to her. “The omelets here are wonderful.” An uneasy silence hung in the air. “Umm, today I got three running.”

  “Good.” She closed the menu. “I hope you have some winners.”

  “Been doing well so far. I’m the leading owner, and Ginger’s got the top spot for jockey earnings.” He knew he probably shouldn’t have mentioned her name, but he felt quite proud of their achievements.

  “What will you do if they marry?”

  “Nothing. They’re more than welcome to continue working for me; in fact, I’m banking on it…I don’t want to lose either of them, they make a great team.”

  The waitress brought coffee and took their orders. Suzanne stirred cream and sugar into her coffee. “And what about us?”

  Evan was silent for a moment, trying to find the right words. “I want us to be us again…I’m a family man and I love you and Cindy like no others.”

  “How come when I watch the races I see women all around you?”

  He frowned. “I dunno. I certainly don’t ask them to congregate around me. Frankly, sometimes it’s a bother; I have things to do…” He looked at her. “I may have gotten the trophy wife, but you got the trophy husband.”

  “Trophy wife?” she replied with disdain.

  “My dear, you are absolutely the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. There are many of my associates in the business that’d kill to call you theirs.” He took a sip of coffee. “And there’ve been times I had to defend your honor because one of ’em stepped out of line.”

  “Something was said?”

  “Oh, yes…And I no longer associate with him. He gives me a wide berth after the broken nose I gave him.”

  “You punched out someone because of me? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Evan picked up his napkin, fiddling nervously with it. “I didn’t wanna upset you.”

  She smiled. “Well, it’s nice to know you stand up for me.”

  “Without question.” He took a long drink. “You’re all that matters in my life, and I’ll never let another man say shit about you without a thrashing.”

  “Evan, are you jealous?” she said with a giggle.

  “Protective, more like.”

  “Aw, that’s so sweet.”

  Goose bumps and tingles shot through Evan’s body. It felt so good to hear her say something positive about him. He tried to hide a smile, but it didn’t work. “I don’t tolerate improper things being said about the woman I love.”

  Tom made one more check of the girth before Dusty Rose was led from the saddling enclosure. Evan waited patiently in the center of the ring, the other horses walked around, being led by their grooms. Suzanne stood with Evan, awaiting Ginger.

  “Okay, Tito, take her out,” Tom said, making sure all the saddlery was shipshape. With the lov
e of his life riding, he dared not take chances. Racing had enough inherent dangers, he didn’t want to create any more with faulty equipment.

  “Right,” Tito replied, waiting a moment until a couple horses passed so he could take her out. Dusty Rose seemed amazingly calm considering she was running in a stakes race. If she won, Evan stood to take a good chunk of the $180,000 the winner would receive. Ginger would get her cut, Tom, his share, and the grooms were paid salary by Evan.

  The jockeys filed out to the grass. Ginger stopped in front of Evan. “How is she?” she asked.

  “So far, so good. Dusty Rose doesn’t seem the least bit fazed right now.”

  “Any instructions, boss?” She felt the need to call him that, since Suzanne was there.

  “You know her well enough, give her a good ride.”

  “Right, boss.” She turned to find Tom standing behind her.

  He smiled slightly, leaned over, and kissed her. “Good luck out there…Watch out for the jock on the number five horse.”

  “Okay,” she replied.

  “Riders up!” the steward called.

  “Good luck,” Evan called as Ginger went to the horse. Tom gave her a leg up and a reassuring pat on the thigh as she rode out.

  They hurried to their box seats to watch the race. Evan checked the race card against the entrants parading past. His nerves were on edge. “Come on, girl, come on, help me out here,” he whispered.

  “Did you put a bet on her, dear?” Suzanne asked.

  Evan’s breath came as a short gasp; she’d just called him dear. His heart raced and he felt almost lightheaded. “Uh, yes, I put fifty on her to win.”

  “And what are her odds?”

  He strained to look at the tote board. “Six to one.”

  “Reasonable odds.”

  The horses were loaded into the gate. Evan held his breath. He hated this part. There was a momentary pause, then the bell sounded, and the gates flew open. Eight fillies bolted from the gate.

  At a mile and an eighth, it would be a test for Dusty Rose. The crowd roared as they made the first turn, heading toward the backstretch. Ginger had the filly tucked into fourth place with a long way to go. She knew she better save ground and let the horse coast, that way there would be more for the stretch run.

  “She looks good,” Tom said over the noise.

  “Yes, Dusty’s running a fine race,” Evan replied. His hands were tucked into his pockets, fingers crossed. He wasn’t overly superstitious, but at this point, he needed all the luck he could get.

  The horses came around the far turn. Ginger went to make her move. Sure enough, the jockey on the five horse saw her coming and veered wide, pushing Dusty even wider into the turn, causing her to lose ground. Ginger was furious, she could do nothing; there was no contact between horses or riders, so a protest could not be lodged.

  Rounding the next turn, they straightened out for the home stretch. Dusty ran wide on the track, but still gamely in the race; the number five horse edged into the lead.

  “Come on!” Ginger hollered, giving the filly a little tap with the whip. Dusty responded, lowering her head and lengthening her stride. She caught up to the five horse, and it became a duel down the last two hundred yards to the finish.

  Evan cheered and hollered; he wanted—needed Dusty to win. Everyone was on their feet, cheering for the filly. They were neck and neck as they roared down the track. The crowd roared along with them, the noise, deafening. As they came to the wire, it was too close to call. Evan thought he saw Dusty’s head bob forward, perhaps winning it by a nose. But both horses were the same color, making it difficult to tell.

  Neither jockey celebrated, they knew it would be a photo finish. The track announcer informed all patrons to hold their tickets until the photo could be reviewed. Evan put his hands on his head, desperate to find out which horse won. A lot happened to be riding on this race, and he prayed for a favorable outcome.

  Minutes seemed like an eternity. Both horses were back and walking near the winner’s circle, cooling out.

  Finally the tote board lit up and the announcer called: “Winner by a nose, Dusty Rose.”

  “Whooohooo!” Evan jumped up and down. Behind him, Tom, Tito, and Manuel cheered.

  Suzanne looked at her husband. “Well, you did it.”

  He wanted to grab her and kiss her, but he knew it wasn’t the time. Perhaps tonight.

  Instead of dining at the hotel restaurant, Evan found a nice place down the street. With exception of the emotional wedge between them, it had been a magical day. His horses did well, and his bank account grew larger. Now he hoped his marriage could be restored.

  Tipping the last of the champagne into Suzanne’s glass, Evan studied her for a moment. She looked happy, and he hoped deep down inside that she was. “Have you had a nice time?” he asked, sitting the bottle back into the tub of ice.

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Tomorrow should be even more exciting—War Monger’s making a start in the Florida Derby.”

  “If he wins, you’re sending him to Churchill Downs?”

  He smiled broadly. “Of course! It’s been years since this farm had a runner in the Kentucky Derby…I think he stands a good chance…If he wins tomorrow, I’ll let him rest.”

  “Wise choice.”

  The waiter approached. “Would anyone care for dessert?”

  Evan looked at Suzanne, who shook her head. He wanted dessert, just not at the restaurant. “Uh, no thank you, can you bring the check, please?”

  “Right, I’ll get it for you.” He scurried off.

  Ten minutes later, the check was paid, and they were heading back to the hotel. Evan parked, quickly got out, and opened the door for Suzanne. They went into the lobby and caught the elevator up to their floor. “Evan?” she said.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you through…It was wrong of me to judge before I knew the whole story…Can you forgive me?”

  Without a word, Evan grabbed her, and kissed her hard. His heart pounded, and he wanted nothing more than to take her back to his room and make passionate love. The doors opened, he let his lips part.

  “Come with me,” he whispered. Taking her hand, he led her down the hall to his room.

  Once inside, he turned to her. “Suzanne, I swore when I married you there’d never be another woman, and there hasn’t. You’re the woman I want and need.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “I want you so badly right now it hurts.”

  She stepped farther into his arms, her lips meeting his. Evan held her tight, afraid to let her go. Now she was back in his life. He drew away ever so slightly. “Make love to me, please,” he whispered.

  Suzanne saw the intensely wanton expression on his face. Admittedly, she’d missed his attentions, his passionate kisses, and his fabulous prowess between the sheets. No other man had been able to take her to such heights as Evan. Without a word, she slipped from his grasp and began undressing.

  Evan needed no prodding. Clothes flew as he hurriedly undressed. This was a moment he wanted to last forever. The giddy feeling flipping in his stomach reminded him very much of the first time they’d made love. He’d never forget that night: wild with love, lust, and passion, culminating in two bodies tangled in union between the sheets.

  They shared a mutual climax, which seemed to rock the world—their world, and it happened to be the only thing that mattered then.

  Heat flushed over his body. Tiny beads of sweat formed on his brow. Evan paid no attention to it; his goal was to make love to his wife. With the last bits of clothing removed, he stood in front of her, making no excuse for his prominent, and somewhat painful arousal.

  Suzanne approached him. Evan’s mouth fell open slightly as he took in the beauty he’d been without for so long. She looked just as beautiful as the day he married her, perhaps more. She reached down and caressed him, Evan grunted. There was only so much of that he could take. His body eagerly wanted to sink once again into her
depths.

  Putting his arms around her, he slowly edged them toward the bed; his lips plying her with passionate kisses. Gently, he laid her down, then sat next to her. Words were of little use, their language tended to rely on what their bodies said. Evan ran his hand down her chest, past her abdomen, and between her legs. Oh yes, she wanted him, it was plainly evident. He played his finger about, her body responded, legs opening farther.

  Slowly he climbed on the bed, resting on his knees between her legs. Great care needed to be taken; he didn’t want to risk losing her for good. His body screamed out for hard, frantic sex, but his brain knew better. Suzanne deserved to be given every pleasure possible.

  His finger moved more, he watched her eyes close, body shifting slightly to increase his touch. Her wetness and the heat coming from her drove him insane. Patience, patience, he reminded himself; his finger giving the utmost of stimulation.

  Suzanne writhed under him, his touch bringing her to an intense climax. The tension in her body built beyond anything she’d ever experienced. Evan continued, he knew what pleasure this gave her.

  She cried out, her body rocked by a climax she’d never known. Shock waves shot through her body like bolts of lightning. There was no other man in the world which could make her feel like that.

  Evan smiled. He’d forgotten about his own discomfort. Now, it nagged incessantly at him, pleading for release. He’d let Suzanne decide when she was ready. As she caught her breath, she gazed up at him; yes, she’d married a trophy husband; he looked magnificent in just his bare skin.

  Reaching down, she grasped him, urging him to dive into her. He happily obliged. Sinking inside her depths, he groaned; it had been so long. Edging in as far as he could, Evan began to move slowly. He bit his lip, fighting back the urge to come.